MORE THAN 150 volunteers braved stormy weather conditions yesterday as the search for missing teenager Seán McNair continued off the Donegal coast.
The search for the 17-year-old was confined mostly to the shoreline as heavy gales prevented boats from putting out to sea.
The searches, under the guidance of the Greencastle Coast Guard and the Mulroy Coast Guard, stretched for miles along both sides of Lough Swilly.
The Sikorsky search and rescue helicopter from Sligo did manage to take part in the operation for a small time during the afternoon.
Seán McNair, from Derry, was last seen in the early hours of Saturday morning when he went swimming with friends off Rathmullan Pier. The group had been celebrating a friend’s 18th birthday party in a nearby pub.
Since then his family and friends, including his mother Jackie, have kept a vigil at the small seaside village.
Derek Flanagan of the Irish Coast Guard said he hoped better weather conditions will aid them with their search from today.
“The conditions are really impeding our search here with low visibility. We are looking at far better conditions and we will have a conference to co-ordinate a plan for tomorrow. It is hoped that a team of divers from the Irish Navy will also assist in the operation.”
Local priest Fr Martin Collum has been at the scene since the youth went missing.
He paid tribute to the work of all the search and rescue teams who are trying to locate the missing teenager.