Galway Search Operations

16 February 2021

Galway Civil Defence conducted a search of the Inner Galway Bay Area (Boats, Sonar and SUA) on Saturday 5^th February for missing persons in the area.

On Sunday evening, 6^th February Galway Civil Defence was notified of a female reported entering the water on the River Corrib, in the area of the Quincentenary Bridge. Galway City Boat crew launched their boat and conducted a two-hour search of the River Corrib from the bridge to the Salmon Weir. Galway Civil Defence SUA Crew also responded and conducted a search of the Salmon Weir to the Queens Gap area of the waterways, at the request of Galway Fire Service Incident Commander after the Irish Coastguard helicopter R115 had left the search area airspace.

A subsequent search on Sunday 7^th February was conducted on the River Corrib by the Galway Civil Defence City and Ballinasloe Boat Crews and Mayo Civil Defence Boat
Crew using Sonar technology, at the request of An Garda Síochána. The search was unsuccessful and the search is ongoing.

On Monday15^th February the Galway Civil Defence Drone Crew attended a planned search of the Salmon Weir Bridge and Queens Gap area of the River Corrib with Galway Fire and Rescue Service, An Garda Síochána (AGS) and the Office of Public Works (OPW). The area had previously been searched but due to the high volume of water flowing from the River Corrib through the Salmon Weir, the search was inclusive. The OPW, at the request of AGS, closed four of the sixteen gates of the weir, to help reduce water flow and level in the planned search area. The Civil Defence Drone commenced searching the area as the water levels receded.

The body of a missing female was recovered from the base of the Salmon Weir Bridge. The Civil Defence Drone Crew assisted in providing live video to the Fire Service Incident Commander at the planning and recovery phases of the search operation.

During the course of the past five days, three of the four reported missing persons have been recovered from the water in the environs of Galway City.

 

 

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