Leuven University student dies after falling from a cliff in the west of Ireland
A student from Leuven University (KUL) has died after she fell during a cliff-top walk in Ireland. Both the university and the Belgian Foreign Ministry confirm that the female philosophy student that was studying at a university in Scotland as part of the Erasmus international student exchange programme has lost her life.
Irish media report that the tragic incident happened on Saturday afternoon on Cliffs of Moher on the country’s west coast. The student was visiting the cliffs with 3 friends. She lost her balance and fell off the cliff top.
The Coast Guard deployed drones, lifeboats and a helicopter in an effort to find the student. Her body was soon located and retrieved from the sea. Leuven University says that was in her early 20’s and was a philosophy student at the university.
Not the first time
The Cliffs of Moher in County Clare are a popular destination for tourists. At their highest point the cliffs reach an altitude of 214 metres above sea level. Saturday’s tragic incident occurred at the southern extremity of the cliffs. The Leuven University student fell around 120 metres to her death.