Search To Resume At Cliffs Of Moher For Missing Man

Photo © Pat Flynn

A search is expected to resume this morning for a person reported to have been seen falling from a cliff in Co Clare yesterday.

The emergency response to the incident included members of the Doolin unit of the Irish Coast Guard which was stood down following a number of shock resignations in November.

Last month, all the units volunteers had their membership terminated with a commitment from the Department of Transport to reconstitute the service in the interim. A small team of members was then contacted and requested to make themselves available to respond to calls if required as part of the temporarily reconstituted team.

CONTINUE READING BELOW

These members responded to Sunday afternoon’s incident after the alarm was raised at around 3.00pm. Emergency services received a report that a man was seen falling from the Cliffs of Moher.

Watch officers at the Irish Coast Guard’s marine rescue sub centre on Valentia Island in Kerry mounted and coordinated the multi-agency search operation.

As well as the Doolin unit of the Coast Guard, this response included the Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 115, the National Ambulance Service, An Garda Síochána and the Aran Islands RNLI lifeboat.

Weather and sea conditions in the area were reported to be very poor with low visibility and sea swells of up to 5 metres. Soon after arriving at the scene the Aran Islands lifeboat was stood down and returned to base while Rescue 115 was retasked to incident on Inis Mór, the largest of the Aran Islands.

Members of the Doolin Coast Guard unit conducted a cliff-top search in an effort to locate the casualty believed to be at the base of 702ft cliffs.

As conditions were not safe enough to conduct a more detailed search or effect a recovery operation, the effort was stood down at around 4.30pm but is expected to resume in the morning.

It’s also believed that divers from the Garda Water Unit will be requested to assist with the recovery operation.