Air, surface and shoreline searches are continuing off the coast of Mayo, in an effort to locate Rescue 116 crewmen Ciarán Smith and Paul Ormsby.
The Department of Transport says marine institute specialists along with the Air Accident Investigation Unit and Gardai carried out underwater operations overnight, which are ongoing today.
Further searches – supported by the Coast Guard, RNLI and Civil Defence – will continue this afternoon while the Shannon based Coast Guard helicopter will conduct aerial searches later.
Members of the Carrick on Suir River Rescue group also joined in the search effort this morning. Nine members of the team travelled to Mayo yesterday with two ribs.
However, the department says wind conditions overnight, may constrain certain elements of the search until Sunday, but conditions remain favourable for time being.
The Coast Guard’s also asking fishermen, who are not participating in tomorrow’s sea-search, to keep a lookout for any material associated with Rescue helicopter 116.
