Tourist rescued in Howth cliff drama

LAST Sunday week (January 25) the Irish Coast Guard emergency operations centre received a call reporting a tourist trapped on a cliff edge 50 metres above a beach at Whitewater Brook on Howth Head.

The Howth Coast Guard Cliff Rescue team and Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue 116 were tasked.

Coast Guard members from Howth were quickly on the scene and were able to locate the casualty thanks to the assistance of members of the public who gave a very accurate description of the location on their 999 call.

A spokesman for the Irish Coast Guard, based at Howth, told Northside People:

“The tourist, who was in his 30s, had got confused coming back up the path from the beach below and ended up trapped, unable to move with a steep drop below.

“Two Coast Guard members were able to communicate with the casualty and keep him calm while other team members were setting up a cliff rescue team to lower a rescue climber.

“Shortly after the Coast Guard helicopter arrived and lowered a winchman to the tourist and successfully recovered him to the top of the cliff path.

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The spokesman added:

“Coast Guard medics assessed the man who was a bit shaken but otherwise in good health and very thankful for his rescue in what could have easily had a very different outcome.

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