The search for a young boy reported missing in the vicinity of the Cliffs of Moher in Co Clare on Tuesday continued today in what the Irish Coast Guard has now described as a ‘recovery operation.’
A land, air and sea search was mounted at around 2.00pm on Tuesday after the young boy, believed to be 12 years old, was reported missing by his family who are understood to be visiting from overseas.
It’s thought that the boy had become separated from his family who then tried to find him. When there was no sign of the child, they returned to the visitor centre and alerted staff there.
Gardaí were alerted initially while the Irish Coast Guard was also requested to mobilise resources to assist with a search.
Watch officers at the Irish Coast Guard’s marine rescue coordination centre on Valentia Island in Kerry mounted a multi-agency operation involving the Doolin unit of the Coast Guard, the Aran Islands RNLI lifeboat and the Shannon based search and rescue helicopter.
The search continued for several hours including around the base of the cliffs however conditions were not safe for personnel to reach the shoreline to carry out a more detailed survey. The search was called off on Tuesday evening but resumed on Wednesday morning.
Doolin Coast Guard were joined by a drone team from Clare Civil Defence and divers from the Garda Water Unit. Rescue 115 also assisted during the afternoon. Garda divers swam in to the base of the cliff and carried out a comprehensive search however no trace of the boy was found.
The operation was suspended on Wednesday evening but resumed at lunchtime today with Coast Guard volunteers from Doolin continuing their clifftop search.
A drone team from Cleggan Coast Guard in Galway travelled to Clare to assist their Doolin colleagues.
Clare Civil Defence also deployed their drones for a second day and were joined by drone teams from Cork North and Cork West Civil Defence and another team from Kerry. They were briefed in Ennis by Civil Defence Officer for Clare Mr Steven Hayes before travelling to the search area. All teams deployed their drones at various locations along the Cliffs of Moher.
Drift modelling software was used in an effort to establish what direction a body might be carried. Winds over the past two days have been from the south which could carry a body north along the coast.
Meanwhile, members of Galway and Mayo Civil Defence carried out searches of the Galway Bay coastline as part of the ongoing operation.
The Costello Bay unit of the Irish Coast Guard also searched areas along the Galway coastline while volunteers based on the Aran Island of Inis Oírr, which is part of the Doolin Coast Guard, carried out shore searches on the island.
The Shannon based Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 115 undertook a detailed grid search in the Galway Bay area as part of the extensive operation.
Head of Operations at the Irish Coast Guard Kevin Whitney told RTÉ: “The Coast Guard is continuing to support Garda operations to recover the body of a young boy who had fallen from the Cliffs of Moher.”
