Young woman dies after horrific fall from popular tourist spot

A young woman has died following a horrific fall from a popular tourist spot in Ireland.

Aged in her early 20s, the tragic incident happened yesterday (4 May) and it is understood she lost her footing while walking and fell.

Said to be a college student, she was visiting the Cliffs of Moher with three friends.

Found at the southwestern edge of the Burren region in County Claire, the picturesque cliffs run for around nine miles and the maximum height reaches 214 metres.

The Cliffs of Moher stand at about 120 metres at their most southern end at Hags Head, close to where the tragedy occurred.

It’s one of the most visited tourist sites in Ireland, with an estimated 1.5 million visits each year.

The Cliffs of Moher are one of the most visited tourist sites in Ireland. (Getty stock photo)

The four tourists are believed to be of different nationalities and not based in the country.

The alarm was raised at around 1:20pm yesterday and a search and rescue operation was mounted by watch officers at the Irish Coast Guard’s marine rescue co-ordination centre based on Kerry’s Valentia Island.

Members of the Coast Guard and gardaí (Ireland’s national police and security service) responded to the location and a rescue helicopter was also used in the search, arriving within minutes having been in the air already for a training exercise.

An RNLI lifeboat was also used to assist with the operation and units of the local fire and rescue service were dispatched the scene.

The search of the area was carried out and the Gardaí confirmed the young woman’s body was recovered from the water.

It is being treated as a tragic accident. (Getty stock photo)

She was then formally pronounced dead as the body was taken to Doolin Coast Guard station.

A Garda spokesperson said: “Gardai and emergency services conducted an operation following reports of an incident at the Cliffs Moher this afternoon.

“The body of a woman, aged in her early 20s, was removed from the water by emergency services.”

The incident is being treated as a tragic accident.

Back in January 2019, a 26-year-old Indian national fell to his deaths at the Cliffs of Moher while taking photos.

And before then, in June 2007, a Hungarian man also in his 20s died after falling at the tourist attraction. It’s understood he was also taking snaps of the site at the time while visiting friends in Ireland for the summer.