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Updated 8.06pm
A LAND AND sea search operation on the Sheep’s Head Peninsula in West Cork has been stood down for the night, with one man still missing.
Earlier today a body was recovered from the area where the two men, who are understood to be Dutch and German, were reported missing on Saturday.
The Coast Guard confirmed that an unidentified body has been recovered from the water near the Sheep’s Head this afternoon.
It was recovered from an “inaccessible location” by the Rescue 117 helicopter from Waterford.
There were reports this afternoon that a body had been spotted in the sea, and the Coast Guard, Castletownbere lifeboat and LE Eithne are all involved in searching the area concerned.
The Coast Guard had reported at the time that recovering a body from that area would be ‘difficult’.
Missing men
Two men, aged 31 and 33, were reported missing after they failed to return from a walk, a spokesperson for the Irish Coast Guard told TheJournal.ie.
The Coast Guard helicopter from Shannon carried out a search of the area yesterday, and was back at the scene early today conducting a search of the peninsula and surrounding waters.
Local coast guard and lifeboat units have also responded.
This evening, a Coast Guard spokesperson said the search for the second man was stepped down at 6pm and will resume at first light tomorrow morning. Gardaí told TheJournal.ie that the body of the man found earlier has not yet been identified.
The men have been frequent visitors in the area and were staying in a house on the peninsula. The mother of one of the men reported them missing.
First published 10am.
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TodayFM news reported that the last contact they had to family members was to say they were going out to the lighthouse on Saturday afternoon. With the Met forecasting stormy weather it looks like they paid the ultimate price for ignoring the warnings to stay away from the coast and in this country if it’s a lighthouse you’re going to, it’s likely to be a particularly dangerous stretch of coastline.
Such a tragedy but it serves as a harsh lesson to others who might risk their lives for the sake of a nice photo or a spectacular viewing of stormy seas. You have to respect nature at it’s most violent – with the record amount of drownings last summer to images of a father rescuing his young children from crashing waves and then this tragedy it’s time we learned more respect for the dangers in our local environment and climate.
Everyone also owes a duty of care to your potential Mountain rescue volunteers etc who maybe called out to try help you. A genuine accident is one thing, willful ignorance…… (not a particular comment on these 2 chaps)
Hopefully they turn up safe and well
Unfortunately a body has been found. RIP
My friend and my boyfriend. I still can’t believe this is happening.
Thoughts & Prayers to you and both families Lu…thinking of u all.x
Lu my sympathy to you
Very sad news. Well done to all involved in the search.
This is a truly sad day for west cork! You’ll be in my prayers tonight!
I’m so sorry for your loss.this is very tragic.thinking of the families.xxx
Very proud of Rescue 117 Helicopter Waterford. Well done crew.
OMG
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