A man has been rescued from a sea cave on the Co Mayo coast in which he has been trapped for close to 24 hours.

A multi-agency rescue operation had been awaiting low tide this afternoon (Sunday 18 September) to retrieve a man trapped in a sea cave at Downpatrick Head since the previous evening.

According to The Irish Times, the man in his 40s had been exploring the cave with a woman on Saturday (17 September) when they became trapped by the rising tide and were swept off a ledge by a wave surge.

The woman was taken from the water by kayakers who responded to the emergency and then to safety while the man climbed onto a ledge where he remained overnight.

Local gardaí say the man maintained contact with rescuers from the Irish Coast Guard and RNLI who were hopeful of gaining access to the sea cave with this afternoon’s forecast low tide.

RTÉ News reports that rescuers this afternoon brought the man to the mouth of the cave, where he was fitted with a buoyancy suit before being airlifted to hospital by the Sligo-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 118.

This story was updated at 5pm with additional information.