Teenager injured while diving at busy resort
It was the second time in recent weeks that a young person has been injured while diving from cliffs at Kilkee, Co Clare.
On Saturday evening, the 14-year-old was diving with friends from low rocks near Sandy Cove on the western side of the town.
He dived into the sea below him without difficulty. However, conditions were rough, and he was washed up against the rocks.
He was left dazed by the incident but was helped from the water by other swimmers.
His mother remained with him while his grandmother went to the coastguard station to raise the alarm.
The local unit of the Irish Coast Guard went to the scene, where the teen was assessed by first responders, who then requested assistance from the Shannon-based search and rescue helicopter.
It would have taken up to two hours for the boy to reach the Mid Western Regional Hospital by road, a journey the helicopter could make in just 10 minutes.
The teen was also assessed by a local doctor before coastguard volunteers transported him to the local golf club, where a safe landing site had been cleared for the helicopter. The boy was treated in hospital for concussion and a head injury.
Martony Vaughan of the Irish Coast Guard said: “People have to be careful when diving into the sea.
“If there’s an incident near the cliffs or water the coastguard should always be called. When people ring 999 or 112 for such incidents, they should ask for the coastguard. It’s absolutely essential that correct services are dispatched to an incident.”
Last month, a 14-year-old cousin of Ireland rugby ace Jonny Sexton was injured in a similar incident in Kilkee.
