FAMILY AND friends of a woman whose car was found abandoned on a road in north Clare on Saturday joined the search for her yesterday .
A massive search was launched early on Saturday after the vehicle was discovered parked on the side of the road near Aill Na Searrach a short distance from the Cliffs of Moher on the road to Doolin.
Garda inquiries traced the car to an address in east Limerick and on further investigation established that it belonged to a local woman aged 38.
Inquiries also confirmed that the woman had left her home early on Friday and she is understood to have told family members that she had a doctor’s appointment.
Gardaí became concerned for the woman’s safety and contacted the Irish Coast Guard marine rescue co-ordination centre at Valentia Island in Co Kerry to request the assistance of the local volunteer search unit.
Members of the Doolin Coast Guard unit started a land and sea search, while a Shannon-based rescue helicopter was also asked to go to the area.
The helicopter was already airborne on an exercise and arrived within minutes.
The search was called off as light faded but restarted early yesterday with family members and friends of the missing woman travelling to Clare to join in the effort.
Gardaí and Coast Guard volunteers carried out further searches of lands along the roadway as well as the coastline from Doolin Point south to Hag’s Head.
Other crews undertook a visual search of the sea from the clifftop.
The Doolin rescue boat carried out a search while the rescue helicopter made several sweeps of the area for a second day.
The comprehensive air search extended for several kilometres north and south of the area where the car was found.
The helicopter crew reported no sign of the missing woman and was stood down after several hours.
The search was expected to resume early today.