Update: Hiker lost in Macgillycuddy Reeks taken to hospital; search stood down
Kerry Mountain Rescue and the Valentia Coastguard have stood down their search for a missing hillwalker.
It is understood the man, believed to be a Polish national in his 30s, has been found and taken to hospital.
He is reported to be suffering from severe cold and exposure.
He spent the night on the eastern McGillyCuddy Reeks after getting into difficulty at around 8pm yesterday.
The man was spotted edging his way down a snow covered ridge after he called for help late on St Stephen's Day.
Kerry Mountain Rescue said the man had been walking slowly in an area known as The Bone above the Hag's Glen when he was spotted.
He was winched off the mountain by the Shannon-based Rescue and brought to hospital.
The man set off on Christmas Day and is understood to have been well-equipped with a tent and other winter mountain hiking gear but he raised an alarm late the following day after his tent was damaged.
The Coastguard helicopter had reported an earlier sighting of a man descending the mountain and were able to winch him up into the aircraft.
He has since been taken to University Hospital Kerry for treatment.
Rescuers have divided into five teams in the search for a man in the Macgillycuddy Reeks near Killarney, Co. Kerry, this morning.
The Kerry Mountain Rescue team resumed its search at first light after the man who had been walking in the Reeks since Christmas Day got into difficulty and rang the emergency services at around 8pm last night.
Communication had been “poor and limited” and the team now believe he may be in the Hag’s Glen Area of Carrauntoohil rather than further south in the Black Valley.
They have divided in a widened sweep of the Reeks and the Shannon-based search and rescue helicopter is assisting now with visibility having improved. Earlier it had had to return to Kerry Airport.
Alan Wallace, spokesman for KMRT, said they have few personal details of the man whose English appeared to be very limited. He told them he had set out on Christmas Day and it appears his tent had been damaged.
There is heavy snow and ice on high ground.
Valentia Coastguard are co-ordinating the search this morning.
Mr Wallace said: "The communication with the guy was very limited yesterday, both in terms of the quality of the coverage and also his english didn't appear to be particularly good.
"We're not a hundred percent, we've got some vague descriptions of where he might be, so we're searching those areas.
"I would just add that the helicopter has spotted someone coming down the mountainside, and we'll keep an eye on him."
Three Irish people had to be rescued yesterday. One man in his 40s had reached the summit of Carrauntoohil and got into difficulty.
The man who is understood to be from Kerry was assisted down the mountain but had become severely chilled and had to be taken by ambulance to University Hospital Kerry where it is understood he was kept overnight.
Later two men, in their 30s, again believed to be from the Kerry and west Limerick area became stuck on steep ground between the summit of Carrauntoohil and the Devil’s Ladder. They did not need medical attention and were walked down by rescuers.
