The search for a man feared missing in a large wooded area in Co Clare was called off last night after he was found safe and well.
A search was mounted after Gardaí located a car at Gragan’s Wood close to the N67 road between Lisdoonvarna and Ballyvaughan. Gardaí requested assistance from the Irish Coast Guard to help search a large forested area.
The operation involved Gardaí, the Doolin unit of the Irish Coast Guard, Clare Civil Defence and the Shannon based search and rescue helicopter, Rescue 115.
Volunteer members of a specialist UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) search team from Clare Civil Defence were joined by other drone operators from search and rescue software development company DroneSAR.
After the helicopter had departed the scene, a number of drones were launched in an effort to locate the man.
Another Civil Defence UAV team was dispatched from Tipperary while a K9 search dog unit was sent from Dublin. A HSE ambulance also attended the scene for a time.
Ground teams had to negotiate thick forest and rough terrain in search of the man. Conditions in the area at the time were poor with heavy rain and poor visibility at times.
At around 9.00pm, a male was located by a Garda close to where the search was being coordinated from. He was assessed at the scene by Civil Defence first responders and while said to be wet and tired, he was otherwise well.
The search was later stood down.