Two teenage boys have died after they got into difficulty while swimming in a quarry lake near Ennis this afternoon.
The alarm was raised at around 3.30pm, after the incident had occurred, and a search was then mounted at the disused quarry near Knockanean on the outskirts of the town.
Two units of Ennis fire service, including their water rescue unit, were initially mobilised to the incident along with Gardaí and Ambulance paramedics.
The Kilkee unit of the Irish Coast Guard, the Shannon-based search and rescue helicopter and Clare Civil Defence were also involved in the operation.
It’s understood that two casualties, both teenage boys, were soon located and brought ashore where efforts to resuscitate them were carried out.
Both were airlifted from the scene to University Hospital Limerick shortly before 5.00pm, but the pair were pronounced dead on arrival.
The two boys are both aged 15. It’s understood they are both from Ennis, although they are not being named at this stage.
