Crime

Centre College student, coach injured after fall from Irish cliffs

The Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, Ireland. The cliffs tower more than 650 feet at their highest and jut into the Atlantic Ocean. They’re one of Ireland’s top visitor attractions.
The Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, Ireland. The cliffs tower more than 650 feet at their highest and jut into the Atlantic Ocean. They’re one of Ireland’s top visitor attractions. AP

A Centre College student and a coach were injured Wednesday in a fall from the Cliffs of Moher in western Ireland during a hike, Centre College officials have confirmed.

The Irish Independent reported that the victims were two men, one in his 20s and one in his 40s. The Irish Coast Guard and a local search and rescue team were called. One of the men had to be airlifted off the cliffs, according to several Irish media reports.

Centre College President John Roush sent an email early Thursday morning to Centre College students and staff confirming that a student athlete and a coach were injured in Ireland. Roush didn’t release their names because of student and health care privacy laws.

The Irish Examiner, a daily newspaper, reported that one might have a serious back injury, and the other might have leg injuries.

“Each is being treated at a separate hospital,” Roush wrote. “Details are limited, but they are on the mend.”

The Centre College football team traveled to Northern Ireland to play against the Belfast Trojans on May 27. Roush said many players, coaches and relatives stayed in Ireland afterward to travel.

Beth Musgrave: 859-231-3205, @HLCityhall

This story was originally published June 1, 2017 at 9:37 AM with the headline "Centre College student, coach injured after fall from Irish cliffs."

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