Man dies after falling into the sea in West Clare  

The alarm was raised at around 3.15pm when emergency services received a report that a person had fallen into the sea from a cliff at Dunlicky, southwest of Kilkee. Picture: Brendan Gleeson

One man has died and a second person has been rescued following an incident in West Clare this afternoon.

The alarm was raised at around 3.15pm when emergency services received a report that a person had fallen into the sea from a cliff at Dunlicky, southwest of Kilkee. 

It is understood the victim was fishing with another man at the time. An onlooker who witnessed the incident unfold called emergency services.

A search and rescue operation was quickly mounted by watch officers at the Irish Coast Guard’s marine rescue coordination centre in Co Kerry. The Kilkee unit of the Coast Guard was tasked along with the Shannon-based search and rescue helicopter. The National Ambulance Service and Gardaí were also alerted.

Kilkee Coast Guard volunteers launched their rescue boat to the scene while other members travelled to the location by road. It’s understood that the rescue boat was delayed from launching by a number of people swimming close to the slipway.

Rescue 115 carried out a search of the area and soon located the man and recovered him from the water. However, efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The man is understood to be aged in his 50s.

The victim’s body was removed to University Hospital Kerry in Tralee where a post-mortem examination will be carried out.

A garda spokesperson said: “Gardaí and emergency services attended an incident at Kilkee Cliff Walk in Co Clare this afternoon. A man aged in his 50s was removed from the water by the Coast Guard. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. His body has been removed to University Hospital Kerry.” 

A second person, believed to have climbed down the rocks to help the casualty, was found stranded on a cliff edge and unable to climb back to safety. He was spotted by the helicopter crew who alerted ground teams. An operation was then mounted to rescue him.

Kilkee Coast Guard volunteers managed to get a rope down to the man and secured him while additional resources were requested to attend.

Once the man was secure, the helicopter crew moved into position and airlifted him from the ledge and landed nearby where paramedics were waiting to assess him. The man is not believed to have been seriously injured.