Search resumes for man missing off Clare coast

There are difficult sea conditions off the Co Clare coast today where a search has resumed this morning for a man who fell into the sea yesterday.

The Irish Coast Guard marine rescue coordination centre on Valentia Island in Co Kerry mounted the air and sea search at about 10am when water reached a low-level. However conditions off the coast are currently very poor and are expected to remain so over the coming days.

The missing man is believed to a Latvian national aged in his 40s.

It is understood that two men had been fishing from rocks about 100m south of the lighthouse at Blackhead in north Clare when one fell into the water yesterday.

The second man is thought to have gone to get help and when he returned to the scene, there was no sign of his friend.

Is is understood that he may have been in the sea for up to two hours before the alarm was raised.

The Irish Coast Guard mounted a large search yesterday afternoon. The Doolin unit of the Irish Coast Guard was alerted and mobilised to the scene while the Shannon based search and rescue helicopter was also tasked.

The RNLI lifeboat based at Inis Mór in the Aran Islands was also sent to assist in the search.

The helicopter, with its advanced infra-red and heatseeking equipment carried out sweeps of the sea, part of Galway and along the coast south and to the east of the scene.

Coast Guard land crews and gardaí searched the coastline in an effort to locate the missing man and the search was called off at 6pm last night. Search efforts resumed this morning.

Last October a 42-year-old Latvian man drowned just kilometres from the scene of yesterday’s incident. He had been fishing with friends at an area known locally as the Fisherman’s Climb at Ballyreen near Fanore.