Search for missing man cancelled

The search for an unnamed New Zealand canoeist missing off the coast of Scotland was called off last night local time.

A Shetland Coastguard spokesman said a rescue helicopter has been stood down, though local teams will continue to search the coastline on foot, the BBC reported.

"The survivability is now long gone. He would only have had one hour or so survival time if he had been in the water," he said.

The man was last seen on April 1 wearing a wetsuit and carrying a red canoe.

The coastguard said the man was aged between 40 and 50 and was an experienced paddler, who had gone on long expeditions in the past.

- NZPA