This article is from page 11 of the 2007-12-18 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 11 JPG
THE search is continuing today for a Whitegate man who went missing after a night out with pals in Killa- loe.
James Burke has been missing since Sunday, December 9 when he failed to get into either of two taxis which were taken by the group of friends to get home.
The 23 year-old was last seen walking near the bridge on Sunday evening. Gardai have appealed to people with holiday homes in the Killaloe area to check them in case the missing man may be in one of the elt one
Meanwhile, almost 100 locals have joined the Killaloe coastguard unit, the Irish Coastguard helicopter, the Mountshannon search and rescue unit and gardai in the shore and lake search for the missing man.
It is feared that the Ballinruan man may have slipped into the water as he
headed home from Killaloe.
The alarm was raised when he failed to return home, contact his parents or arrive for work on Mon- day morning.
A spokesperson for the coastguard said the search started in the area around the bridge where he was last seen and spread out along the shore- bb aten
“We are hopeful that he didn’t fall into the river but we have to suspect that he did until we know otherwise. It is possible that he is safe and sound and staying somewhere. If that’s the case then we would appeal to him to make contact and let us know he is all right,” the spokesman said.
The search, which continued through the weekend, had to be called off as darkness fell last night and was resumed at first light today.
Meanwhile, a man who died after falling into the River Fergus last week has been laid to rest.
The body of 21-year-old Dermot
Molloy, was recovered last Wednes- day by divers at a section of the river to the rear of Aldi.
The search was initiated in the early hours of the previous Sunday morn- ing after a body was seen moving in the river behind the Abbey Street car park in the town.
An initial rescue attempt, made shortly after Mr Molloy entered the water, had to be aborted because of the treacherous water conditions at the time.
Ennis gardai co-ordinated the huge search operation, which involved members of the Garda Water Unit, Doolin Coastguard, Ennis Sub Aqua Club, Burren Sub Aqua Club, Kilkee Sub Aqua Club, Clare Civil Defence and the Coastguard helicopter.