Search for missing man continues off west Cork

An air, sea and land search is continuing this afternoon off the Cork coast for a man presumed drowned while rescuing two swimmers…

An air, sea and land search is continuing this afternoon off the Cork coast for a man presumed drowned while rescuing two swimmers who got into difficulty off Owenahincha strand at the weekend.

The body of businessman Peter O'Keeffe (37), from Ovens, near Ballincollig, Co Cork, was recovered on Tuesday near the location where he and fellow rescuer Jonathan Herlihy (22) entered the water on Sunday afternoon to rescue a British man and his Kilkenny-born girlfriend.

Four coastguard units and a Waterford-based helicopter are participating in the sea search and some 150 volunteers are conducting a shore search between Dunowen and Castlebay.

The naval vessel LE Aoife is co-ordinating the sea search. Fourteen vessels - including tree trawlers - are searching the area and naval divers assisting the Garda underwater search team are operating from two rigs off the coast.