Gardaí in Co Wicklow recovered a body from the Avoca river in Arklow yesterday during the search for missing teenager James Sheehan.
The body was discovered close to the south quay wall at about 5pm.
Although the body has not yet been identified it is feared to be that of Mr Sheehan (18), who has been missing since the weekend.
More than 200 people from the community were involved in the search for the teenager, who was last seen early on Sunday morning after leaving Sally O’Brien’s nightclub in the town.
Examination of closed-circuit television footage later placed Mr Sheehan at the Bridgewater Shopping Centre at 3.35am, about an hour after he left the nightclub.
Local Fianna Fáil councillor Pat Fitzgerald said there was profound shock and sadness in Arklow at the news of the discovery of the body.
“The last few days have been traumatic for the Sheehan family. There has been an outpouring of grief in Arklow and the surrounding areas.”
“It is a dreadful tragedy for the community to see such a young man lose his life. His parents and extended family are grateful for the hundreds of people who aided the gardaí in the search for James,” he said.
Gardaí in Arklow extended their thanks to the Boyne Fishermen’s Rescue and Recovery Service, which located the body, as well as the assistance of the Garda Water Unit, Civil Defence and the local community.
A postmortem is due to be carried out on the body to determine the cause of death.