Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Harrowing rescue attempt by pals to save cliff plunge teenager
Tragic victim suffers head injuries
WITNESSES have praised the emergency services who “desperately” tried to save the life of a tragic teenager.
The emergency services responded to a “major incident” after four youths had been “coastering” near Dunluce Castle on the North Antrim coast.
The practice involves swimming off rocky shorelines and sometimes jumping into the sea.
Its believed the pals were in a cove known locally as the Lord’s Prayer when the victim struck his head.
The Coastguard, the RNLI rescue helicopter, ambulance service and police, were deployed after the alarm was raised just after 5pm on Tuesday.
The friends of the tragic teenager tried desperately to save him. He was found unconscious in the water and was taken to Whites Rock Beach where he was pronounced dead.
A witness praised the actions of the local RNLI team, particularly the beach lifeguard who arrived on the scene “very quickly” by jet-ski.
They said: “It is such a tragedy and my thoughts are with his family.
“I saw the desperate attempts of the RNLI teams to save him. The beach lifeguard arrived on the scene very quickly, using a jet-ski to go along the coast.
“They did everything that they could to try and save him, and it is heartbreaking they were not able to do so.”
DUP councillor and Mayor of the
Causeway Coast and Glens Council Mark Fielding said: “It is a tragedy and my thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the young man who died. I would also like to wish the young man who was injured during the incident well in his recovery.”
Local Alliance councillor Chris Mccaw said: “It is absolutely devastating what has happened and my thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the young man. I would just like to thank the emergency services who attended the scene and did their best to try and save him.
“I would also like to send my thoughts to the young man who was also injured in the tragic accident.” Cara Hunter, SDLP Assembly Member for East Derry said: “My thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family.”
A spokesperson from HM Coastguard said: “Rescue teams from Coleraine and Ballycastle were sent, along with two RNLI lifeboats from Portrush and the Coastguard search and rescue helicopter from Prestwick.
“Two of those in the water were able to make it back to shore unassisted and one person was taken from the water by helicopter to the clifftop and into the care of coastguards.
“An RNLI lifeboat recovered the fourth person from the water and passed them into the care of the Ambulance Service.”
A PSNI spokesman said: “The death is not being treated as suspicious.”