THE new search for missing doctor Deirdre O’Flaherty is focusing on the site of a wind farm close to Rathmullan in Co Donegal.
Gardaí have drafted in heavy excavation equipment and erected temporary buildings at the remote site at Oughterlin between Rathmulland and Kerrykeel.
Officers from the Garda Technical Bureau in Dublin have been joined by local officers in the search which started on Monday.
Dr O’Flaherty (46), who also used her maiden name Donnelly, has been missing presumed drowned since January 11 2009.
The mother-of-three was originally from west Belfast but lived in Strabane with her husband Ken, who works as a GP in the Co Tyrone town.
The family also had a holiday home close to Kinnego Bay in Inishowen.
The latest search focused yesterday on land used by a wind farm which was opened approximately a year before Dr O’Flaherty went missing.
The site, on hills above Rathmullan, contains six wind turbines and is closed to the general public.
Gardaí have said the search continues to form part of a missing person investigation and there has been no change of status.
A land and sea search was launched in 2009 following Dr O’Flaherty’s disappearance after her silver BMW SUV was found at Kinnego Bay with the keys still in the ignition.
It later emerged that shoes belonging to the missing women were found in the footwell of the vehicle as well as her medical bag.
In 2012, Belfast High Court, under the Presumption of Death Act 2009, accepted that Dr O’Flaherty had died by drowning after going into the sea at Kinnego Bay.
In a ruling in response to an application made by the missing woman’s husband, Mr Justice Deeny noted the circumstances of her disappearance.
He said Dr O’Flaherty, who suffered from depression, left cards for her three children with the message “I will always love you xx Mum” on each.
She also left her wedding and engagement ring and mobile phone at the family holiday home.
The court heard that her credit cards and bank accounts had remained untouched since she went missing.
Mr Justice Deeny said: “That was the start of what I consider an overwhelming weight of evidence that this lady did die on this morning.”
This week’s new search was launched after gardaí received a letter claiming to contain details of the location of Dr O’Flaherty’s body.
A Garda spokesman said the search was expected to last all week and an update would be provided on its completion.
“An Garda Síochána are liaising closely with the relevant family and a Garda family liaison officer has been appointed,” he said.
