Three emergencies for coastguard

A COASTGUARD unit in Clare yesterday responded, within an hour, to three incidents which left two men and a woman in hospital.

In the first emergency, around 10.20am, a Polish man fell from rocks and broke his leg, but narrowly avoided landing in the sea at Gleninagh in north Clare.

The 30-year-old, who lives in Co Galway, had been shore fishing close to Blackhead Lighthouse.

The Doolin unit of the coastguard was called out after the marine rescue coordination centre at Valentia Island in Co Kerry received an emergency call.

The casualty was treated at the scene before being stretchered across rocks to the road where ambulance paramedics were standing by. He was later admitted to Galway University Hospital.

While returning to their base at Doolin, rescuers were alerted to an incident in Lisdoonvarna where a 31-year-old man sustained severe facial injuries.

Coastguard volunteers were at the scene within minutes. Rescuers treated the casualty and placed him on a stretcher while they awaited the arrival of an ambulance to take him to Ennis General Hospital.

In a third incident at around 11.20am, close to the coastguard station at Doolin, a 67-year-old woman was seriously injured after she was thrown from a horse onto the roadway.

The woman was riding from Doolin towards Doonagore Castle when the incident occurred.

Assisted by the coastguard at the scene, the woman was later admitted to the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick with injuries which, although not life-threatening, were described as serious.

A coastguard spokesperson said: “All three incidents happened in quick succession but we were in a position to respond to all three in good time.”