A combined Ireland and UK air and sea search is continuing off the northwestern seaboard for a crew member missing from a British naval ship.
Before 9am yesterday, a UK naval support vessel sent a distress alert for a missing crew member last seen on board around 10.30pm on Friday.
The vessel was north of the island of Toraigh, Co Donegal, when the Coast Guard's Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Malin Head received the distress alert.
The search for the missing crew member is being conducted by Irish Coast Guard aircraft with Irish Naval Service and UK naval vessels.
The LÉ George Bernard Shaw is searching northwest of Toraigh while the HMS Somerset and a British naval auxiliary ship are searching north west of Mayo.
The Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Sub Centre at Malin is continuing to coordinate the search for the missing crew member between Oileán Toraigh and Oileán sa Tuaidh off Béal an Mhuirthead, Co Mayo.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson confirmed to RTÉ News that the search is for an individual from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
They said the missing person's next of kin have been informed of the situation, as the search and rescue efforts remain ongoing.
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is staffed by highly trained civilian officers who are part of the naval service.
The RFA provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines.
Yesterday, the search from the air was conducted by the Irish Coast Guard’s fixed-wing plane, Rescue 120F, based in Shannon Airport; Coast Guard helicopter, Rescue 118, based in Sligo; and the Irish Air Corps plane CASA 284.
Three RNLI all-weather lifeboats based at An Baile Glas, Árainn Mhór and Lough Swilly assisted yesterday alongside other vessels.
Árainn Mhór and Lough Swilly RNLI lifeboats searched west and north west of Donegal while An Baile Glas RNLI searched northwest of the Iorrais Peninsula.
