A search in west Cork for a rock climber missing from cliffs in Baltimore Harbour has been stood down, after a body was recovered from the water by divers this morning.
The missing man is understood to be a 27-year-old from Italy. He was living in Blackpool in Cork city and was a student at University College Cork.
The man's girlfriend raised the alarm at 8:20pm last night. He had left earlier in the day to go rock climbing on cliffs at the Eastern Hole in Baltimore Harbour. She became concerned after she was unable to contact him for several hours.
Some of the man's climbing gear was found at the top of the cliffs.
A search got underway as darkness fell last night, overseen by the Coast Guard's Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Valentia, Co Kerry.
Two Coast Guard helicopters, Rescue 115 from Shannon and Rescue 117 from Waterford were tasked to the scene. Both RNLI lifeboats from Baltimore, an all-weather and an in-shore vessel, also joined the search until midnight.
The Coast Guard team based at Toe Head, a Civil Defence drone team and gardaí also took part.
The search resumed at dawn this morning.
A team of local divers recovered a body from the water just after 9am.
The search was stood down and the body was brought ashore by one of the Baltimore lifeboats.
Gardaí have since spoken to members of the man's family.
A garda spokesman said the local Coroner had been notified. A post mortem examination will also take place.
