A 40-year-old who spent almost 22 hours stranded in a cave in Mayo has been rescued.

The man got stuck on a ledge in a cave at Downpatrick Head after being swept into the area during high tide last evening.

Since the alarm was raised just before 6pm yesterday, a major search and rescue operation has been under way by the RNLI, Gardaí, the Irish Coast Guard, the Civil Defence forces and the local fire brigade.

He will now be airlifted from the scene by the Sligo-based Rescue Coast Guard helicopter and will later be brought to hospital.

Yesterday, a second person - a woman - was brought to safety by kayakers - but, since then, heavy sea swells blocked the entrance to the cave.

A kayaker managed to bring the woman to safety soon afterwards, but the man remained on a ledge in the cave overnight.

Contact with the man was maintained throughout the last day.