Rescue workers searching for two swimmers missing in Galway have recovered a body in the water.
It is believed to be the body of a man in his 70s who went missing after going for a swim in Silverstrand near Barna on Tuesday morning. The search is continuing for a woman in her early 30s who also went missing after going swimming.
Both swimmers are from the local area and were regular swimmers at Silverstrand.
The alarm was raised when the man did not return to shore having gone for a swim around 8am on Tuesday morning at Silverstrand, which is about 7km west of Galway city.
But as a search was being mounted it emerged that a second swimmer, a woman in her early 30s, was also missing.
One theory being considered by rescue crews is that one of the swimmers may have got into difficulty and the other person went to their assistance.
The sea was calm at the time but the water was ice cold, while there has been a dense fog along the shoreline all morning.
The Irish Coast Guard and a number of local boats went to the scene in an effort to find the missing swimmers but visibility is extremely poor.
It has not been possible to task the Irish Coast Guard helicopter because of the dense fog.
Both swimmers are local and family members began arriving at the scene as news of the incident spread.
Gardaí sealed off the road leading to the beach which is a popular area for swimming throughout the year.
