A man has been airlifted to hospital after he suffered an injury while hiking in North Clare this afternoon.
The alarm was raised shortly after 2.00pm when emergency services received a report that a person had fallen in The Burren. The incident occurred on Blackhead Mountain in the northwest of the county.
The National Ambulance Service, Irish Coast Guard and Gardaí were alerted and responded the area. The Shannon-based search and rescue helicopter was also tasked to the scene.
At the time, Rescue 115 was involved in a missing person search in the Woodford area of Galway but was retasked to Blackhead, reaching the scene in about 10 minutes. Because of the terrain in the area however, the helicopter was unable to land. Instead, the helicopter winchman/paramedic was lowered onto the mountainside.
Ambulance paramedics assessed and stabilised the casualty with the help of volunteers from the Doolin unit of the Irish Coast Guard. They also assisted with preparing the injured man to be winched off the mountain.
The man was winched on board the helicopter and airlifted to University Hospital Galway for treatment.
