Coastguard join efforts to locate missing diver in Co Clare 

Searches of the Bridges of Ross on the Loop Head peninsula resumed on Saturday morning having been hampered in recent days by rough seas.

A renewed search is underway today for a missing cave diver in Co Clare.

The missing man, understood to be from Eastern Europe originally, had been living in Ireland and is thought to have gone diving at a popular beauty spot, the Bridges of Ross, on May 3.

Searches of the Bridges of Ross on the Loop Head peninsula resumed on Saturday morning having been hampered in recent days by rough seas.

Volunteers from the Kilkee unit of the Irish Coast Guard have been joined by a team from Glenderry Coast Guard in Co Kerry who launched a drone to search the rugged coastline.

Volunteers from Ballybunion Coast Guard are searching the Kerry coastline on the other side of the Shannon Estuary. 

Divers from the Garda Water Unit are expected to return to Clare tomorrow to resume their search.

Kilkee Coast Guard volunteers have been conducting shoreline searches at low tide since last Sunday when the man’s car was discovered however since then, sea conditions have been too dangerous to launch boats or deploy divers.

The man's car was located in the carpark on Sunday, May 8.

Coast Guard volunteers and Gardaí carried out an initial search of the area last Sunday night while the Shannon-based search and rescue helicopter also joined the effort. The search was called off at around 2am on Monday when nothing had been found.

It’s now believed the man’s vehicle may have been there since the previous Tuesday. It’s understood that his clothing was still in the vehicle but that his diving equipment and underwater sea scooter were not. He’s thought to have gone exploring local sea caves.

Members of the Garda Water Unit arrived last Monday afternoon and carried out searches in rock pools and waters around the base of the cliffs. Volunteers from Kilkee Sub Aqua Club’s search and recovery unit joined the search later in the day and are due to rejoin the operation this afternoon. 

Members of the Irish Cave Rescue Organisation (ICRO) have also been involved in the search.

Kilkee Coast Guard volunteers have continued to carry out low water searches while the crew of Rescue 115 flew search patterns along the coastline during the week.