BOULDERS TRAP CLIFF CLIMBER; Helicopter rescues man, 26.Byline: VICTORIA MCMAHON A MAN rescued from a 600ft cliff face after being trapped by heavy boulders was recovering in hospital last night after surgery. The 26-year-old, understood to be from Dublin, was airlifted to Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital For other places with the same name, see Royal Victoria Hospital (disambiguation). The Royal Victoria Hospital at 687 Pine Avenue West in Montreal, Quebec, Canada was established in 1893, through the financial contributions of two Scottish immigrants, Donald Smith and George after his five-hour ordeal on the picturesque climbing spot of Fairhead in Co Antrim, on Saturday. His condition was described as stable last night after painstaking surgery to repair a leg badly crushed by the boulders. Coast Guard watch officer Dawn Petrie said the accident happened in a dangerous spot. She added: "The area that he was climbing in is notorious for loose boulders. "It was just unfortunate that when he started climbing in the area he picked, the boulders fell on to him." The climber was about to scale the cliff-face at Fairhead on the North Antrim coast when several loose boulders fell on him, pinning him to the ground. A Spanish passer-by heard his cries for help and raised the alarm. The Irish Coast Guard The Irish Coast Guard (IRCG) (Irish: Garda Cósta na hÉireann) is part of the Department of Transport. The coast guard is responsible for:
But a spokeswoman said the team was unable to free him because of the weight of the rocks. The Sligo helicopter was then sent to Belfast to pick up a fire crew and lifting equipment needed to free the man. A doctor who specialises in crush injuries was also winched down to the casualty and the helicopter was sent back to Belfast to retrieve more equipment. Two members of the Red Bay lifeboat crew climbed up the rocks to administer oxygen to the trapped man. Paddy McLaughlin, helm of Red Bay RNLI RNLI (in Britain) Royal National Lifeboat Institution RNLI n abbr (BRIT) (= Royal National Lifeboat Institution) → organización benéfica que proporciona un servicio de lanchas de socorro lifeboat said it was "a very difficult rescue". He added: "The location of the incident meant everyone had to work together as radio communication was poor and the terrain was very dangerous. "We were all conscious of the urgency of the situation and our focus was to get the casu-altand the rescue personnel out of there safely and quickly. "Conditions early on were calm but as the night progressed they worsened significantly." Meanwhile, in a separate rescue yesterday a female pensioner PENSIONER. One who is supported by an allowance at the will of another. It is more usually applied to him who receives an annuity or pension from the government. was pulled to safety after breaking her ankle at Murloch Bay. The woman, aged in her 70s, is understood to have been taking a photograph at the beauty spot when she tripped and fell. It is the third dramatic rescue inside three weeks in the area. A group of young women from Portadown were taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Noun 1. Duke of Edinburgh - Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921) Philip, Prince Philip gold scheme earlier this month when they lost their way on Fairhead and had to be winched to safety. CAPTION(S): HELP Sligo helicopter TEAM EFFORT Rescue crews work to bring injured man to safety in notorious danger spot |
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