A tragic accident on Ben Bulben has seen the loss of a member of the Sligo Leitrim Mountain Rescue Team, Octavius (Ocky) Job. An experienced mountaineer, Mr. Job was climbing with another seasoned climber and teammate when he fell in a gully above the Ben Bulben Forest Walk.
Regrettably, the decades-long rescuer, who was also a father of three, was declared dead at the scene due to a severe head injury. Colleagues acknowledge that Mr. Job had participated in numerous rescues in the same location over the years.
The locals of Sligo expressed deep condolences for Mr. Job’s children, who had lost their mother less than three months ago. The Job family resides in Carney, close to Sligo. The children’s mother, Vanessa Job, was a prominent figure in the local arts scene, passed away in April after a protracted illness.
On Tuesday night, the emergency was reported at 10 pm. The following three hours saw 15 of Mr. Job’s team members, national ambulance paramedics, the police, and the Strandhill-base Irish Coast Guard Helicopter, Rescue 118 working relentlessly on the recovery mission.
Henry Doherty, the mountain rescue team’s spokesperson, explained that due to the location and wind conditions, a helicopter rescue mission was infeasible. However, the helicopter aided by providing additional light as darkness set in. With worsening weather and challenging steep terrain, the climber was finally carried off the mountain on a stretcher by his own team.
Despite the harsh conditions, Doherty said, there was a united effort by all team members to return their friend home. He praised Mr. Job’s dedication as a volunteer and acknowledged the collective devastation at his loss.
Adding to these condolences, local councilor Thomas Healy of Sinn Féin, who also knew Mr. Job, stated that his death was a massive loss to the community and particularly, to his family.
It’s unquestionable that anyone who was fortunate enough to encounter Ocky would have recognised him as a genuine, kind-hearted man who managed to maintain a high degree of professionalism in his mountain rescue work, was expressed. Tragically, a young man in his twenties lost his life climbing a mountain in Sligo. Mr Job, leaving behind three children and a grandchild, was greatly mourned.