A search for a swimmer in Galway has been upgraded after it emerged that a second swimmer is now also missing in what Gardaí fear may be a double tragedy.

The alarm was raised when a swimmer, a man in his early 70s, did not return to shore having gone for a swim around 8am on Tuesday morning at Silverstrand, near Barna.

But as a search was being mounted, it emerged that a second swimmer, a woman in her early 30s, was also missing. Both are regular swimmers at Silverstrand but not necessarily known to each other.

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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.

Rescue teams have been combing the shoreline as the tide came in before lunchtime with more rescue craft including kayakers taking part in the search for the missing swimmers.

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