A LARGE scale search resumes early this morning for a 12 year old autistic boy missing since yesterday afternoon.
Gary Edward Murphy from Dooran Line near the townland of Mountcharles, Co Donegal was last seen playing in fields near his home at 3 p.m.
The search was scaled down at 2.15 a.m. until first light.
As fears for his safety mounted this morning, a Shannon based marine rescue helicopter fitted with heat seeking equipment joined in the search with up to 100 local people and gardai.
The search was concentrated on the area around Mountcharles four miles north west of Donegal town. A spokesman for the marine rescue service said dense undergrowth and woodlands in the area were hampering their efforts.
One local man said the terrain in the coastal area was rough and mountainous with many small rivers making it difficult to search on foot.
A Garda spokesman said Gary, who is also dumb, was wearing a blue zipped sweater, blue corduroy trousers and wellington boots.
He is described as having brown hair.
The search was co ordinated by Killybegs Coast and Cliff Rescue Service.
An Air Corps helicopter fitted with search lights from Finner Army camp outside Bundoran assisted the operation for several hours.
Members of the boy's immediate family also helped in the search.