Search continues for man missing off Donegal coast

The man, understood to be a soldier in his late 20s, was swimming off Rougey in Bundoran with a group of up to four others when they got into difficulty.

The others in the group made it ashore with the help of locals but the third man is still missing.

Derek Flanagan, Divisional Controller at Malin Head Coast Guard station, was on the scene on Wednesday morning.

He said the alarm was raised around 6pm on Tuesday night by a member of the public. The Coastguard helicopter from Sligo was deployed, along with Coastguard units and the RNLI. The search began again at 7am on Wednesday morning. Over 100 members of the army troops based at Finner Camp and members of the public were also aiding with the search of the beach area Wednesday morning and the missing man’s family are on the scene.

Mr Flanagan urged anyone who may be going to swim to do so on a designated Blue Flag beach with designated lifeguards. He said that even though someone maybe a very competent swimmer, they can get into extreme difficulties in a ‘big swell.’

The man’s name has not yet been released.