Fatal fall of man in Dartry mountains leads to calls for better signage

A young man who died after falling off a cliff in the Dartry mountain range in Co Sligo on Thursday had arrived in the area with his girlfriend that morning, it has emerged.

There has been an outpouring of sympathy for the young couple, who had hired a car for their trip to Sligo, as locals reiterated their concerns about the dangers of the mountain for people not familiar with the terrain.

The man who died was named locally as Alex Braun, who was in his mid-20s, and is understood to have been a US citizen living in Dublin.

His girlfriend, a 27-year-old Spanish woman, was rescued from a narrow ledge on the side of the cliff, after a "complex operation" involving about 20 members of Sligo-Leitrim and Donegal mountain rescue teams, who also recovered the man's body.

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The couple had been walking in the Gleniff Horseshoe. The man's body was recovered from under the Anacoona cliffs between the Ben Bulben and Ben Whisken mountains at about 9.20pm on Thursday.

Alan Sayers, a member of Sligo-Leitrim Mountain Rescue Team, said the tragedy highlighted the need for more warning signs on the mountain, given the huge numbers of people climbing to well-known landmark Diarmuid and Gráinne's cave, which is being widely promoted on TikTok and YouTube.

Stranded on ledge

It is understood that the couple had climbed over the cave and across the top of Ben Whisken mountain. They were descending the side of the cliff when they became stranded on a ledge.

Mr Sayers said that although it was easy as a hiker to walk yourself somewhere that you couldn’t get out of, it was crucial that people were properly prepared and knew where they were going.

Sligo County Councillor Donal Gilroy, of Fianna Fáil, who lives in the area, has raised concerns about traffic on the mountain.

Mr Gilroy said he had to be stretchered off Kilimanjaro while hiking for charity. "I climbed Kilimanjaro but I wouldn't climb Ben Whisken," he added.

The mountain rescue teams were winched on to the mountain by the Strandhill-based coastguard helicopter, and abseiled to the woman, after being alerted by a woman who observed the tragedy unfolding.

The young man's body was removed to Sligo University Hospital, where a postmortem will be carried out.

A Garda spokesman said inquiries were continuing.