Divers, mountain rescue look for missing teen

Three lifeboats and a Coastguard helicopter from Dublin were working with police divers, a mountain rescue squad and five land-based Coastguard teams in a major air and sea search for a 14-year-old boy swept into the Irish Sea from the Co Down coast.

Jordan Murdoch was with his friend, David Hackett, 12, on the pier at the entrance to the harbour at Killough on Sunday afternoon when one was swept into the water and it is understood the other jumped in to try to save him.

While David was pulled to safety and taken to hospital in nearby Downpatrick for treatment for shock and the effects of the cold water, nothing has been seen of Jordan.

A cap and jacket recovered last night before the search was called off because of bad weather has been identified by his family as belonging to the missing boy.

The Murdoch family is understood to have only recently moved to the scenic Co Down coast from the Markets area of Belfast.

Coastguards were hoping today that weather conditions would remain calm after the high seas, gale force winds and driving rain they had to contend with yesterday.

Spokesman Brett Cunningham said the bad weather had hampered the search yesterday, but conditions were expected to be more favourable today.

“There were very poor weather conditions,” he said.

“We had three coastguards injured and taken to hospital for treatment during the prolonged search.

“We certainly had all the facilities there – three lifeboats, four Coastguard teams and a Coastguard helicopter up from Dublin.”

It is hoped specialist infra-red imaging equipment on the helicopter will enable them to find the missing teenager.

The search was being centred on Killough Bay but was extended up and down the coast as well, said coastguards.