The body of a man has been recovered from Carrauntoohil, Ireland’s highest mountain, in Co Kerry. The man, who is believed to be in his 50s, and Irish, appears to have been walking on his own on Saturday.
His fall on the northern face of the mountain was witnessed from lower down the slope at about 2pm and his body recovered at about 9 pm on Saturday from an area described as inaccessible and challenging for the recovery team.
Gardaí in Killorglin were conducting checks on car parks and guest houses on Saturday night in an effort to confirm the man’s identity. They now believe they are following a definite line of inquiry after establishing that someone did not return to his accommodation locally.
There has been a number of serious falls on the descent from Carrauntoohil in recent weeks, the Kerry Mountain Rescue Team have said, urging caution on the busy mountain.
Valentia Coastguard co-ordinated the search and recovery operation by the Kerry Mountain Rescue Team and the Shannon based helicopter. Too steep for a landing, the helicopter ferried equipment and rescuers.