Two women are recovering in hospital after they were injured in separate accidents while hiking the Cliffs of Moher walking trail in North Clare.
The Doolin unit of the Irish Coast Guard was tasked twice in a matter of hours to assist the tourists. The National Ambulance Service was also alerted.
The volunteer team was initially tasked at around 1.30pm and requested to respond to an incident about 6 kilometres north of their base in Doolin. An elderly female tourist was reported to have suffered a fall on the trail.
The incident occurred however on a section of the trail which is not currently officially open to the public.
Doolin Coast Guard members located the casualty and administered first aid before transporting her to the road where she was handed into the care of National Ambulance Service paramedics.
Later, at around 4.30pm, the Doolin Coast Guard unit was again paged and tasked to another incident at the Cliffs of Moher. Another elderly tourist was reported to have fallen on the trail about a kilometre north of O’Brien’s Tower.
The casualty was located by Coast Guard personnel who had to work in difficult conditions. Winds in the area were reported to be blowing up to 40 knots (74 kilometres an hour) in the area at the time.
The tourist, also in her 70s, was assessed and treated at the scene by Coast Guard first responders. With the assistance of Cliffs of Moher staff the casualty was transferred to the visitor centre where they were met by National Ambulance Service paramedics and transferred into their care.
Both women were taken to University Hospital Limerick for treatment.
