Search area to recover body of young boy following fall from Cliffs of Moher is expanded

The search to recover the body of a young boy who fell from the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare earlier this week has been expanded to include a wider area, the Irish Coast Guard has confirmed.

In an update, this Saturday, it said it continues to support the search operation which is being led by local gardai.

The boy who, it's understood, was holidaying with his family, fell on Tuesday afternoon - sparking a major land, sea and air search involving several State agencies and volunteers. However, the operation had to be paused on Wednesday due to adverse weather conditions.

"The Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Centre in Valentia is coordinating searches led by volunteers from the Doolin Coast Guard Unit using drones and cliff top searching, and the Shannon based Coast Guard helicopter R115. These searches are being supported by other neighbouring Coast Guard units," stated a spokesperson for the Irish Coast Guard in an update issued this Saturday afternoon.

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"The search area has focused around the Cliffs of Moher and also in the surrounding sea areas including Galway Bay and the Aran Islands. Over the coming days, Coast Guard Units from Doolin, Cleggan, Inisheer, Costelloe Bay, Killaloe and Coast Guard helicopter R115 will continue to search these areas," they added.

It is also understood that Civil defence drone units will also be deployed to search the area as tasked by An Garda Siochána and will operate in conjunction with the Coast Guard effort on scene.