Two cyclists hospitalised after colliding on Waterford greenway

The Railway Viaduct at Kilmacthomas which is now part of the Waterford greenway. Picture Dan Linehan.

Two cyclists have been hospitalised after colliding on Waterford's greenway.

The incident happened just outside Lemybrien, near Ballylynch shortly before midday on Thursday.

Emergency services including gardaí, ambulance, air and sea rescue Helicopter 117 based at Waterford Airport and the South Eastern Mountain Rescue were among the units on the scene.

One of the cyclists had to be airlifted to University Hospital Waterford due to the nature of their injuries, while the other was taken away by ambulance.

The difficult location of the accident meant the services of the South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association (SEMRA) had to be called on.

SEMRA member, Chris Murray told WLR that it was an "unusual" call out and it would not be an area they would get called to regularly.

"It does fall into our area of operation," he said.

"We generally work within the mountainous areas, up the hills such as the Comeraghs, the "Knockmealdown, the Galtees, up the Slieve Blooms and we do cover Greenway as well.

"There are areas of it that would require certain access or which we would have difficult access, I suppose. and we would have the experience and the vehicles in order to carry out such rescues."