A man fell to his death near "Devil's Chimney Falls."

                                                                                                                     Photograph: John O'Sullivan/Pixnio

A man has died after falling 20m into a stream while visiting a beauty spot on the Sligo/Leitrim border.

The man, aged in his late 60s, was walking with his partner in the Devil’s Chimney area of Glencar on Monday at the time of the incident.

It is understood that he became disorientated and strayed from the path.

A major rescue operation involving 10 members of Sligo Leitrim Mountain Rescue (SLMR), the Strandhill-based Irish Coastguard helicopter, the National Ambulance Service and the Garda began after the man was reported missing at about 7pm.

According to Henry Doherty of SLMR, the visitor from Co. Galway wandered 500 metres off the walking path before falling into a brook that had swollen noticeably as a result of heavy rain. When the rescue personnel found the man, he said, he had a head injury and was beginning to hypothermia.

The man was given CPR by paramedics from Rescue 118 when they arrived on the site, but he was declared dead there.

Everyone participating in the rescue effort, according to Mr. Doherty, was horrified and sympathised with his family.

Sruth, also referred to as the Devil's Chimney waterfall in Aghaidh The World Waterfall Database lists Ireland's tallest waterfall, known as An Aird in Irish because it sometimes seems to flow backwards depending on the weather, as being 150 metres high.