Two people have been airlifted to hospital after they got into difficulty on Carrauntoohill in Co Kerry this evening,
The alarm was raised at around 5.15pm when the pair used a mobile phone to contact emergency services.
The women, thought to be in their 20s, are understood to have been hiking on the Devil’s Ladder route up the mountain. It is believed one of the women has sustained a leg injury.
An operation to locate and recover the climbers was quickly mounted.
The Kerry Mountain Rescue Team was alerted and mobilised to the incident while the Shannon based search and rescue helicopter, Rescue 115, was also tasked.
The operation was coordinated by staff at the Irish Coast Guard marine rescue sub station on Valentia Island in Kerry. It is understood personnel there had been in contact with the women throughout by phone.
The helicopter reached the scene shortly before 6.00pm and soon located the women.
The casualties have been airlifted to Kerry General Hospital in Tralee.