Searches to resume off Donegal coast as Rosary to be held for missing kayaker

Searches will resume off the west Donegal coast for a kayaker who has been missing since Thursday night.

A special Rosary will be held in his hometown Ramelton this evening for Paul Buchanan.

Fr Michael Carney, the parish priest, will lead parishioners in the Rosary at St Mary’s Church from 6.30pm, praying for Mr Buchanan and his family.

A large scale sea search has bene ongoing since the alarm was raised close to midnight on Thursday.

At low water on Tuesday, coast guard searched will resume in the area.

Mr Buchanan, who has a chartered accountancy business in Letterkenny, had set off after 5pm on Thursday from Magheragallon pier, but failed to return.

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Aged in his 50s, Mr Buchanan was spotted a couple of hours later between the coast and Inis Meain island. 

This was the last sighting and on Friday evening, a kayak was found around 5km north of Tory island.

Ann extensive search, encompassing boat, drone and shore operations has been ongoing, although it has been scaled back somewhat.

Crews from the Bunbeg Coast Guard, Arranmore lifeboat and Lough Swilly lifeboat have been involved in the search as have the 118 and 116 rescue helicopters and a chopper from the Irish Air Corps.

Additional assistance from the UK Coast Guard in Scotland was drafted in over the weekend, but subsequently stood down.

A vast area around Gola, owes and Inishfree islands as far as Bloody Foreland has taken place.

On Saturday morning, Fr Carney held a special Mass in Ramelton for Mr Buchanan, a married father-of-two.