Gerry Moriarty
A major air, sea and land search operation was launched in the Irish Sea off Co Down yesterday after a young teenage boy went missing while a second was rescued.
The alert was raised around lunchtime yesterday when one of the two youths fell into the sea off the end of the pier at Killough Bay, in Co Down.
It is thought his friend jumped in to try to save him. One of the boys was then rescued suffering from hypothermia and shock but the other boy could not be immediately found. He was treated at Downpatrick Hospital.
Lifeboats from Newcastle, Donaghadee and Portaferry were assisting in the search, as was a helicopter from the Irish coastguard with thermal body imaging equipment.
Whiterock, Portaferry, Newcastle and Bangor coastguards were also involved in the search. Coastguard members also led local people in combing the shore in the search for the missing youth. Local trawlers and other craft from nearby Ardglass and elsewhere also took to the waters to try to locate the boy.
Weather conditions were difficult with bitterly cold winds of Force 5-6. The search continued last night with dozens of people lining the shore hoping to find the missing boy.
Killough is a small village near Ardglass, which is popular with tourists during the summer. The two boys involved in the accident are from the area, according to the coastguard.