Miraculous escape for men in North Kerry following two separate incidents

Emergency services were called out first at around 4.45pm on Saturday following a report that a man had fallen from cliffs under the Castle Green in Ballybunion.

The first Ballybunion Sea and Cliff Rescue members to the scene were comprised of a paramedic, EMT and a nurse, arriving two minutes after the pagers went off.

The man, who is understood to be from Limerick, had climbed the cliffs in the moments before the accidental fall – possibly trying to himself rescue a pet dog – and fell onto rocks some 20 - 30 foot below having lost his hold on the rockface.

Ballybunion Sea and Cliff Rescue and Coastguard members stabilised him at the scene and he was rushed to Limerick University Hospital by the Shannon Coastguard helicopter Rescue 115 after it performed a ‘hot landing’ on the Men’s Beach. Thankfully, the man is expected to make a full recovery.

The rescue services were tasked again on Sunday night, including the Ballybunion Coastguard and Sea and Cliff Rescue, at 11.23pm after gardaí raised the alarm when a man fell from the bridge in Listowel.

He did not fall into the waters but into scrub on the river bank on the Duagh side of the Feale, escaping serious injury.

He was rushed to Kerry University Hospital by ambulance and is thankfully also expected to make a full recovery.