Man trapped in County Mayo cave rescued after 22 hours

A man has been airlifted to hospital after spending almost 22 hours trapped in a sea cave in County Mayo, Republic of Ireland.

The 40-year-old was lodged on a ledge at Downpatrick Head after being swept into the area during high tide.

His female companion was rescued by a group of kayakers on Saturday but he remained overnight.

An alarm was raised just before 18:00 BST on Saturday, sparking the search and rescue operation.

On Sunday afternoon, rescue workers brought the man to the mouth of the cave where he was given an initial assessment and was said to be in “fairly good condition”, according to Irish national broadcaster RTÉ.

The man was able to walk assisted around the base of the cliffs before being transferred to Sligo University Hospital.

A multi-agency effort to bring the man to safety included Ballyglass Lifeboat and Coast Guard personnel from Killala, Civil Defence teams, gardaí (Irish police), and fire and ambulance crews.

They were also joined by cliff rope teams from the Irish Cave Rescue organisation, along with Achill and Ballycastle Coast Guard units.

Supt Gabriel Moran, of the Mayo Garda Division, said all involved had helped to save a life and he paid tribute to the locals of Ballycastle who provided food and assistance to rescuers.

He said that attempts to access the man had proved difficult due to treacherous sea conditions inside the cave.