Ireland

Woman dies in fall at Cliffs of Moher after ‘losing footing’ while walking with friends

The college student, in her 20s, had been visiting the site on Saturday

The alarm was raised at about 1.20pm on Saturday and a search and rescue operation was mounted by the Irish Coast Guard. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw

Pat Flynn
Sat May 4 2024 - 18:15

A young woman has died after falling from a cliff in Co Clare while walking with friends.

It is understood the woman, a college student, had been visiting the Cliffs of Moher with three friends when she lost her footing and fell. The group is believed to be of different nationalities and not based in Ireland.

The alarm was raised at about 1.20pm on Saturday and a search and rescue operation was mounted by watch officers at the Irish Coast Guard’s marine rescue co-ordination centre on Valentia Island in Kerry.

Members of the Doolin unit of the Coast Guard and gardaí responded to the location while the Shannon-based search and rescue helicopter was also tasked. Rescue 115 was already in the air and on its way to the Aran Islands for the training exercise when the crew was requested to proceed to the incident. The helicopter reached the search area within minutes.

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The Aran Islands RNLI all-weather lifeboat was tasked to assist with the operation while units of Clare County Fire and Rescue Service from Ennistymon station were also dispatched to the scene. Members of Clare Civil Defence’s drone team were requested to be ready to respond to assist with the search if needed but were later stood down.

A search of the area was carried out and a body quickly located. The crew of the Aran Island lifeboat recovered the body from the water and transported the remains to Doolin Pier where local Coast Guard volunteers and gardaí were waiting. The body was then taken to Doolin Coast Guard station where the woman was formally pronounced dead.

The body is expected to be transported to University Hospital Limerick where a postmortem examination is expected to be carried out.

A Garda representative said: “Gardaí and emergency services conducted an operation following reports of an incident at the Cliffs of Moher this afternoon. The body of a woman, aged in her early 20s, was removed from the water by emergency services. Her body remains at the scene.”

The Cliffs of Moher stand 702ft (214m) at their highest point and about 390ft (120m) at their most southern end at Hags Head, close to where Saturday’s tragedy occurred.

In January 2019, a 26-year-old Indian national fell to his death while taking photographs at the tourist attraction.

In June 2007 a Hungarian man in his 20s died after he fell to his death at the Cliffs of Moher. It is understood that the man, who had been visiting friends in Ireland for the summer, was also taking photos at the time.

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