Jet skier's body recovered from lake

The body of a 19-year-old man was recovered today after vanishing when his jet ski capsized.

The man came off the jet ski at 5.30pm in Lough Beltra, about 12 miles north-west of Castlebar, Co Mayo.

He was riding pillion with a friend when the pair came off when the jet ski flipped over at high speed.

The rider tried to save his friend but was unsuccessful and later managed to swim ashore.

Gardaí said a shoreside wait for the family ended at around 10.45am today when divers from Achill Coast Guard recovered his body.

The teenager is from a family of three children, with one brother and one sister, in the small parish of Islandeady, on the shores of the lake.

He was named locally as Alan Joyce, an apprentice tradesman.

His body was brought to Mayo General Hospital for a post mortem examination.

The coastguard helicopter from Strandhill, in Co Sligo, and a boat crew from Westport were also involved in the rescue operation with sub-aqua divers, gardaí, the Fire Service and Civil Defence.

In a separate incident, a teenager was taken to hospital yesterday after being rescued from Ireland’s highest mountain. The 17-year-old from England was around 50 metres from the summit of Carrantuohill when he lost his footing and fell.

He was among a group of 10 climbing in the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks as part of the Duke of Edinburgh awards scheme.

Members of the Kerry Mountain Rescue Team stretchered the teenager to safety before he was taken to Tralee General Hospital by ambulance.