Diver feared drowned off Donegal

The search for a British diver who is missing and feared drowned off the Donegal coast is continuing this morning.

The search for a British diver who is missing and feared drowned off the Donegal coast is continuing this morning.

The man was one of seven divers exploring first World War and second World War wrecks 70 metres down on the seabed north of Horn Head some 26 kilometres offshore yesterday.

An Irish Coastguard spokeswoman told ireland.comthat rescue personnel are "acting on the assumption that the diver is still alive".

The divers left their boat at 11.45am to dive in search of the wrecks, and Malin Head Coast Guard said six divers surfaced shortly before 2.30pm. When the seventh failed to appear three minutes later, the alarm was raised.

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A rescue helicopter from Strandhill, Co Sligo, and another from RAF Prestwick, flew to the scene, and up to ten vessels searched for the man.

The diver was a member of a group from Britain that sailed on a charter. He was using an oxygen set known as a rebreather, which recycles exhaled gas.

The area is popular with divers exploring wrecks of ships that sank while negotiating the North West Passage in both world wars.