UPDATED 10:50 p.m. – The Coast Guard suspended its search tonight for a 32-year-old man who was swept out to sea Friday near Monhegan Island.

The Coast Guard said it decided to stop the search at 8 p.m. after looking for the man for 34 hours, covering nearly 200 square miles of ocean.

The Coast Guard said the man was from Dublin, Ireland, but declined to further identify him.

A helicopter, a motor life boat and a cutter were involved in the search from the Coast Guard, assisted by the Maine Marine Patrol, the Monhegan Island Volunteer FIre Department and several fishermen and boaters. In addition, the Marine Patrol sent up a plane to aid in the search Saturday.

The man was swept out to sea by a wave while he and friends were looking at caves on the island. Four friends jumped in to try to rescue him, but they lost sight of him and were stranded on Gull Rock. Three climbed off the rock at low tide, while the fourth needed to be airlifted off the rock by a Coast Guard helicopter crew.

4:15 P.M.: Search continues for man swept into ocean

MONHEGAN ISLAND — The Coast Guard is continuing to search for a 32-year-old man swept off rocks while visiting Maine’s Monhegan Island for a wedding.

Coast Guard Lt. Colleen McCusker said today that the cutter Hammerhead and a 47-foot lifeboat out of Boothbay are searching for the man, who has not been identified.

He had walked to Norton Ledge to explore a cave Friday afternoon when a wave churned up by Hurricane Katia knocked him into the water.

Four others tried to save him but soon lost sight of him. Three made it back to shore and a fourth was rescued.

McCusker says the group was part of a wedding party.

Despite not hitting land, the Category 1 hurricane was generating large swells along the East Coast and Bermuda.