Man dies following Howth Head fall
A man has died following a fall from cliffs on Howth Head in North Dublin, Coast Guard officials said.
The alarm was raised shortly before 3pm yesterday when the Dublin Coast Guard received a call from a member of the public that someone had fallen off the cliffs on Howth Head. The caller was a tourist and wasn't sure of the exact location they were at on the cliffs.
Howth Coast Guard Patrol Boat was at the time on the water nearby and they were tasked to go to the incident to search from the water side. At the same time the Coast Guard Heights Rescue Unit and a Coast Guard Helicopter were paged to attend. Due to the uncertainty of the location a shore search was carried out along Balscadden Bay to the Bailey lighthouse.
The Coast Guard Boat made visual contact with members of the public who had seen the fall and they pointed to the exact location. The helicopter then searched the cliff which was covered in heavy vegetation. Shortly after they located someone on one of the cliff edges. A winch man was lowered from the helicopter to the casualty. Sadly the casualty who had fallen 50 feet had passed away.
The Coast Guard expressed its gratitude to the members of the public who did the right thing by ringing in to the Coast Guard and staying at the location of the incident until personnel arrived.
"We extend our sympathies to the family of the deceased," the Coast Guard said.
No details were immedately available as to the age, identity or nationality of the deceased.
