An elderly man has been airlifted to hospital after he was injured in a fall while taking part in a fishing competition in Co Clare this afternoon.
The 75-year-old was fishing from cliffs at Ballyreen between Doolin and Fanore when the incident occurred at around 4.30pm.
The Doolin unit of the Irish Coast Guard was alerted and sent to the scene along with an ambulance from Galway. It’s understood that a Galway ambulance was sent to the incident as a number of resources from Clare had been dealing with another call at Shannon Airport at around the same time.
The Shannon based Irish Coast Guard helicopter, Rescue 115, which had been training nearby at the time, was also scrambled and reached the scene within minutes.
National Ambulance Service paramedics treated the man at the scene and were assisted by Coast Guard volunteers with preparing the casualty for transport to hospital.
The Coast Guard helicopters’ winchman/paramedic was lowered to the ground before he and the casualty were winched on board the aircraft and flown to Shannon Airport, before being transferred to University Hospital Limerick for treatment.
It’s understood that man suffered back and rib injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening.
