Gardaí in Co Mayo have confirmed that a lifejacket and helmet found near Blacksod Bay over the weekend belonged to one of the crewmen missing since a Coast Guard Rescue Helicopter crashed six months ago.
The gear belonging to Winchman Ciarán Smith was found on a beach near Elly Bay, a short distance from Blackwood on Saturday morning.
Mr Smith has been missing, along with his colleague Paul Ormsby, since their helicopter crashed into Blackrock Island on 14 March.
The lifejacket was inflated and is said to have been in relatively good condition.
It was intact when discovered, as was the helmet that was attached to it.
Superintendent Tony Healy, who is leading the garda investigation, has described the find as a big step forward.
He said it confirmed that Ciarán Smith's body was someplace in the water around Blacksod.
More detailed shoreline searches have been carried out in light of the weekend discovery but these have not yielded any further clues.
Superintendent Healy said the possibility of conducting fresh dives in the waters between the Iniskea islands and the shore was being examined, but he stressed that such an operation would be weather dependent.
Mr Smith's family were informed about the find as soon as gardaí confirmed that it was his protective gear.
Detectives have stressed that the search for the two missing Coast Guard crew members is still ongoing and have appealed to anyone who finds anything of interest to bring it to their attention.
