This evening (14/7/14) the Coast Guard emergency operations centre received calls about a swimmer injured while jumping off rocks at Balsadden in Howth.
Members of the Irish Coast Guard Cliff Rescue team at Howth were quickly on the scene and began to administer medical treatment to a male. He had suffered a back injury while jumping off 30 feet cliffs into the water. Further medical assistance arrived with Dublin Fire Brigade paramedics from Kilbarack, the two agencies worked together to stabilise the patient.
The Coast Guard helicopter from Dublin Airport, Rescue 116, arrived and winched the casualty up and evacuated him to hospital.
Jumping off high structures like bridges or cliffs into the water is jumping into the unknown with tides changing and unknown debris beneath the surface. There is risk of serious injury or worse.
Incident 46/14.