In spite of severe weather conditions, hundreds of volunteers have offered to spend the weekend searching for 11-year-old schoolboy Robert Holohan from Midleton, Co Cork.
Four days after his disappearance there are now growing fears that the boy may have been abducted and detectives from the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation have joined the hunt for Robert.
Yesterday's extended search saw around 800 local volunteers join around 200 gardaí and 90 soldiers in braving driving rain and howling winds to search areas, north, south and east of Midleton town.
Hundreds of volunteers are expected to turn up this morning when the search resumes at first light.
Sticks, pieces of piping, golf clubs, walking sticks and hurleys were all used in the battle with briars and furze.
Gardaí last night began speaking to a number of registered sex offenders in the east Cork area to eliminate them from their inquiries.
Robert Holohan left his home at Ballyedmond off the Fermoy Road, in Midleton, at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday. He talked to his mother by mobile phone that afternoon.
When he failed to return neighbours found his BMX bike, a present for Christmas, lying against the hedge, not far from his home.
Even though severe gales are forecast throughout the weekend it is expected that the extraordinary public participation in the search will continue.
Those taking part include neighbours and friends as well as many people who do not know the family personally but are overwhelmed with sympathy because they have children of their own in the area and are horrified at what might have happened.
