Lifeboats and the Irish Coastguard helicopter are searching for a missing American climber who fell about 70 feet into the sea off Valentia Island on the Kerry Coast this evening.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Transport said that two American men had been climbing cliffs at Wireless Point at around 5.15pm.
They had just completed their climb and removed their gear to go walking when one of them "slipped on kelp".
"He fell about 70 feet into the water," the spokeswoman said.
The second man raised the alarm and the Valentia lifeboat was launched to search for the man who fell.
The lifeboat and the Shannon-based search and rescue helicopter, coastguard and cliff rescue units are all continuing the search this evening.
