A diver has been airlifted to hospital after being reported overdue during a dive off the coast of County Kerry, Ireland, triggering a multi-agency air and sea search operation.
According to a report from The Clare Herald, three divers had entered the water together, but only two returned to their dive boat. When their companion failed to resurface, the pair raised the alarm at around 12:30pm.
Watch officers at the Irish Coast Guard’s Marine Rescue Coordination Centre on Valentia Island, Kerry, mounted a search operation in response. Two RNLI lifeboats launched from Fenit, and the Shannon based search and rescue helicopter, Rescue 115, was also tasked to the scene.
Coast Guard watch officers issued a Pan pan radio broadcast, requesting that any vessels in the area keep watch for the missing diver and assist if able. At least one local vessel responded to the call and made its way toward the diver’s last known position. The search was concentrated around a cluster of islands west of Fenit.
RadioKerry reported that the initial 999 call, received at around 12:30pm, indicated the diver was believed to be missing in a cave on Inis Tuaisceart, also known as Fear Marbh, or Dead Man’s Island. The island, which takes its name from its distinctive silhouette, is the northernmost of the Blasket Islands off the Kerry coast.
At around 2:00pm, the crew of Rescue 115 located the diver at the island. The diver was recovered by the Fenit RNLI lifeboat and transferred for medical treatment; RadioKerry reported the casualty was brought to University Hospital Kerry.The Blasket Islands are a well known diving and boating destination off the Dingle Peninsula, with strong currents, submerged caves, and exposed swells that demand careful planning, particularly around Inis Tuaisceart’s rugged northern shoreline.
Editorial note: Cause of the diver’s delay in resurfacing, and the extent of any injuries, have not been disclosed by the Irish Coast Guard or RNLI at the time of writing. Diventures Magazine will publish an update should further details, including the diver’s condition and identity, be released by the relevant authorities.
