Rockclimbing.com

Free soloist Michael Reardon, has been lost at sea in Irland. Con Moriarty, whose house Mr Reardon was staying in, told an Irish TV news station that Reardon had just finished a climb and was standing on a rock shelf at the base of a cliff when a wave hit him from behind, knocked him on his back, and carried him out to sea.

The accident occured west of Valentia Coast Guard Station yesterday evening. The alarm was raised shortly after 5pm yesterday when Reardon was unable to get himself out of the sea.

Mr Reardon, who was 36, had been in Ireland for the past month along with a photographer who was taking pictures of him climbing for an American magazine. He was due to return to the United States today.

Mr Reardon's wife Marci and 13-year-old daughter are expected to arrive in Ireland tomorrow morning.

Valerie O’Sullivan, a photographer from Killarney who had accompanied him on a number of climbs, told The Times that his death had shocked the climbing community in Ireland.

“He was standing below a climb he had just completed and the photographer, Damon Corso, was about 30ft away taking pictures of him. Michael was on a real high after the climb. He was about 10ft above the sea and he let go and had his hands out, celebrating, to say he had completed the climb of his life. But then a wave just came in. The wave hit him on the knees and he lost his balance and slipped on the algae. He was shouting for help but there was nothing Damon could do.”

Miss O’Sullivan said Mr Corso raised the alarm from his mobile telephone. “It is very unpredictable and there are some very powerful waves,” she continued. “It’s a bottomless pit made up of caves and caverns below the water. It is treacherous".