The search for a diver missing off the west coast of Clare is continuing this morning.
The missing man, understood to be from Eastern Europe, had been living in Ireland and is thought to have gone diving at the Bridges of Ross on the Loop Head peninsula early last week.
The alarm was raised after the missing man’s car was located in the carpark at the popular beauty spot on Sunday evening and it’s now believed it may have been there since May 3rd.
The man is thought to have gone exploring sea caves in the area.
An initial search was carried out on Sunday night by the Kilkee unit of the Irish Coast Guard and Gardaí, while the Shannon-based search and rescue helicopter joined the effort shortly after midnight and undertook a comprehensive search of the area.
Coast Guard volunteers returned to the area early on Monday and conducted another shoreline search at low tide however there was no sign of the man.
Divers from the Garda Water Unit arrived in the area on Monday afternoon and carried out searches in rock pools and waters around the base of the cliffs, and volunteers from Kilkee Sub Aqua Club’s search and recovery unit joined the operation later in the day.
Coast Guard volunteers returned to the area at low water last night and carried out further searches while the crew of Rescue 115 flew search patterns along the coastline.
Kilkee Coast Guard members are due to resume their search this morning at low tide.
Conditions in the area in recent days have been poor at times and a weather warning for coastal areas including Clare issued on Monday remains in place with winds up to force 6 forecast.
