Life-saving ring 'removed'

Jordan's family had recently moved to County Down

It has emerged that a life-saving ring, which may have helped rescue a 14-year-old boy who was swept out to sea off the coast of County Down, had been removed by vandals.

The official search for Jordan Murdock, who fell into the sea at Killough at about lunchtime on Sunday, was called off by the Coastguard on Monday afternoon.

However, about 100 local people are continuing to scour the beaches in the area for any sign of the boy.

His family are believed to be distraught and have given up hope that he will be found alive.

Police divers at the scene are examining the seabed around Killough harbour.

Coastguards say the teenager could only have survived up to five hours in the water.

Everyone on the bank was shouting 'hold on Jordan, there's somebody coming' but that was the last we saw of him Dessie McGeown Jordan's grandfather

Items of his clothes were recovered on Sunday night.

Several hundred residents of the Markets area of Belfast where his family lived before moving to County Down staged a vigil on Monday night.

Special prayers have been said at Jordan's school, St Patrick's Grammar School in Downpatrick.

School principal Dermot Mullan said they would not forget him.

"Jordan was full of life, Jordan was always smiling, he fitted into school very, very easliy," he said.

"Coming from Belfast he made new friends very, very quickly and got involved in the life of the school.

"He had a bright future in front of him and it is terrible to think that future has been taken away from him and from the school."

Another boy was pulled from the water by his family and was taken to the Downe hospital in Downpatrick.

David Hackett, 12, was later discharged after being treated for the effects of shock and hypothermia.

Searchers set out at first light on Monday

It is understood the boys were watching the waves from the end of the pier at Killough when Jordan fell into the water and David jumped in to save him.

Jordan's grandfather Dessie McGeown described how he and the boy's mother watched helplessly from the quayside as he struggled in the water.

"We saw his two hands come up, and we started shouting 'hold on Jordan'," he said.

"Everyone on the bank was shouting 'hold on Jordan, there's somebody coming' but that was the last we saw of him."

More than 100 people have taken part in the search, including the Coastguard, a mountain rescue team and police divers as well as local volunteers.

"The search has been really intensive, so we are fairly certain that if he was on the beach, we would have found him by now."

Lifeboats from Newcastle and Portaferry took part in the operation, while the Dublin Coastguard helicopter completed a search of the area.