A POSTMORTEM was being conducted last night on the body of a man who died after being swept into the sea while fishing at Valentia Island in Co Kerry.
The 32-year-old man, originally from the Philippines and living in Killarney, was with a group of friends fishing off rocks on Tuesday afternoon. The accident occurred shortly after 3.30pm.
The island's marine rescue co- ordination centre, the Valentia Coast Guard, co-ordinated the search and rescue operation after receiving an emergency call. The Valentia lifeboat was on the scene within minutes.
The inshore Knightstown Coast Guard unit was also called up but could not launch in what was described as ferocious weather. The man was found by the lifeboat face down in the water.
The crew worked on him but he died. It is suspected he may have struck his head off a rock when he fell into the water after being swept by the wave.
Gardaí are not releasing his name until next of kin have been contacted, Supt Michael O'Donovan of Cahirciveen Garda station said.
Shoreline fishing is a popular but dangerous late summer and winter activity on the Kerry coast. Along the northwest of the island of Valentia alone, there have been a number of deaths over the years.
Monday's accident was at Culloo, just west of where the American adventurer and rock climber Michael Reardon disappeared after he too was swept away by a wave while standing at the end of a cliff in the summer of 2007. His body has not been recovered.
Meanwhile yesterday Valentia Coast Guard co-ordinated the rescue of two people from a British Virgin Islands-registered yacht 130 miles south of Mizen Head. The Shannon Rescue helicopter was tasked and the LE Ciaraand a container vessel also assisted.
The yacht was abandoned.