An Irish climber lost his life yesterday when he fell more than 100 metres while climbing in Co Kerry.
Hopes are also fading for a 22-year-old Swedish man missing in the MacGillycuddy's Reeks for the past six days. The search has now been abandoned.
It is understood that Mr Gerry O'Connor, who was in his late 40s and from Cloghroe near Blarney, Co Cork, was climbing alone on Binnchaorach Ridge between Carrauntoohil and Binnchaorach mountain when he fell shortly before lunchtime yesterday. He was seen falling by three other climbers at Brother O'Shea's Gully, and they raised the alarm.
Members of Kerry Mountain Rescue, who had been searching the MacGillycuddy's Reeks for missing Swedish climber Mr Olos Jansen, diverted to Brother O'Shea's Gully where they found the body of Mr O'Connor.
According to the rescue spokesman, Mr Gerry Christie, the recovery of the dead man's body was hampered by extremely strong winds and wet underfoot conditions on very rough and difficult terrain.
Kerry Mountain Rescue had to stretcher Mr O'Connor's body down 2km of steep descent from approximately 750 metres at Brother O'Shea's Gully to Ardnalocha, some 350 metres above sea level.
His body was last night due to be removed to Kerry General Hospital in Tralee for a post-mortem examination. Mr O'Connor, a former manager of the Blarney Park Hotel, is survived by his wife and three sons.
Meanwhile Kerry Mountain Rescue last night announced it was calling off its search for Mr Jansen after four days of extensive searching involving some 4,300 manhours and mountain rescue teams from all over the country.
Some 200 personnel had combed the MacGillycuddy's Reeks on Sunday, backed up by seven sniffer dogs, an Irish Marine Emergency Services helicopter, Killarney Water Rescue, Civil Defence and local people without finding any trace of Mr Jansen.
"The search is now formally stood down. We will continue, informally to try and account for the disappearance of the missing walker as circumstances permit in the future. At present there is no firm outcome. There is a strong possibility that he has suffered a fatal mishap," said Mr Christie in a statement.
The Swede, who got married on December 21st, left Kilgarvan where he had been staying with his wife, Marian, on Tuesday, December 28th, and was dropped off 5km south of Mangerton mountain for a two-day hike.
A former serviceman with the Swedish Army who served in Kosovo, he intended camping out Tuesday and Wednesday nights on the mountain before returning to Kilgarvan Thursday afternoon.
Mr Jansen's last communication with his wife was a text message at 7 p.m. last Tuesday from the top of Mangerton mountain. It read: "Heavy winds, occasional snow, going well and enjoying my dinner."
He also texted a grid reference for Carrauntoohil saying that was where he was headed. He accessed his voicemail at 2.45 a.m. on Wednesday, but that was the last evidence that he was alive. The alarm was raised on Thursday evening after he failed to return, and a major search operation was launched at first light on Friday.
The search for Mr Jansen and the recovery of Mr O'Connor's body brought the number of call-outs for Kerry Mountain Rescue over the Christmas period to three and followed the rescue of a young climber last Tuesday.
