Person winched to safety from Aran Islands ‘wormhole’ after being swept onto ledge

The casualty was secured with a rope as large waves broke around the ledge before being winched aboard Rescue 118.

A PERSON HAS been rescued from the coast of Inis Mór after being knocked down by a wave and swept onto a ledge near the sea.

The Aran Islands RNLI was tasked to the incident shortly after 1.35pm today, alongside the Rescue 118 Coast Guard helicopter and Aran Fire and Rescue services.

The incident happened near the Wormhole on the south of the island, with rescuers facing strong south-westerly winds and rough seas.

The Wormhole, known as Poll na bPeist, is a natural rectangular-shaped pool at the bottom of the cliffs, south of Dún Aonghasa.

aerial-view-of-famous-poll-na-bpeist-or-the-wormhole-natural-rectangular-shaped-pool-at-the-bottom-of-the-cliffs-south-of-dun-aonghasa-also-known-a Poll na bPeist, also known as the Wormhole Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Aran Fire and Rescue located the casualty and secured them with a rope as large waves continued to break around the ledge.

Rescue 118 subsequently arrived and winched the person to safety, while the Aran Islands lifeboat remained on standby.

The casualty was flown to University Hospital Galway for further treatment.

Aran Islands RNLI coxswain Aonghus Ó hIarnáin described it as a “challenging rescue in extremely difficult conditions”.

“Great credit is due to Rescue 118 and Aran Fire & Rescue for their skill in carrying out the recovery safely and successfully,” Ó hIarnáin said.

He urged people walking along the coastline to keep a safe distance from cliff edges and slippery or unstable paths and to remain aware of sea conditions.