Woman, 82, and boy rescued from Carrantuohill

AN 82-year-old German woman was at the centre of a rescue operation on Ireland’s highest mountain early yesterday.

Dr Ursala Dethinger had climbed Carrantuohill with her son, Michael, in his early 50s, and family friend, Jonathon Lua, 16, on Tuesday, but became stranded when darkness fell quicker than the group expected.

In all, she spent 14 hours on the mountain and was said to be none the worse for her experience yesterday. Dr Dethinger is understood to be staying in a holiday home in the Glengarriff area of west Cork.

The drama started when the Kerry Mountain Rescue Team received a call-out at 10.30 on Tuesday night.

Fearing that people might have sustained injuries, a full operation was mounted and a 20-strong search party with powerful searchlights set off for Carrantuohill, in the MacGillycuddy Reeks, outside Killarney.

First contact was made with the woman and the boy at 12.30am yesterday.

“They were both fine and in very good spirits, even though it was a bit on the cold side,” said team spokesman Brendan Coffey.

“She’s quite a sprightly 82-year-old and obviously keeps herself fit. We brought some food and drink with us which they appreciated.”

The trio had set out for Carrantuohill earlier on Tuesday.

They climbed the mountain but, on the descent, Dr Dethinger was reluctant about going down a dangerous, steep gulley known as the Devil’s Ladder. She decided to go back up the mountain again and down the western side with Jonathon.

Michael, who is familiar with the area, accompanied them for some distance, but he then returned via the Devil’s Ladder. The agreed plan was that he would go back to his car and rendezvous with them later on a road on the western side of Carrantuohill.

However, it took the woman and the boy longer than expected to descend. When darkness fell, they decided to sit it out until help arrived.

Michael raised the alarm at about 10.30pm when they had not turned up.

“They did exactly the right thing by staying put. Had they decided to try to find their way in the darkness they might only have got themselves into serious difficulties,” Mr Coffey said.

It is believed Jonathon had a mobile phone, but it can be difficult to get reception in some parts of the MacGillycuddy Reeks.