THE BODY of missing teenager Seán McNair was found off the coast of Co Donegal yesterday nine days after he went missing.
The 17 year old disappeared in the early hours of Saturday, July 16th, after he jumped off Rathmullan pier. He had been attending a friend’s 18th birthday party in the seaside village when the tragedy occurred.
Since then hundreds of people have taken part in the search for the missing youth, who was from the Creggan area of Derry.
His mother, Jackie, and many friends had been keeping vigil at the pier where the teenager was last seen. Just before 3pm yesterday divers from the Dundalk Sub Aqua club located his body in Lough Foyle.
The discovery came just hours after the Coast Guard said it may have to downgrade the search for the missing youth.
Last night local priest Fr Martin Collum said he was very thankful the young man’s body had at last been found. “It is a huge relief for everyone. I spoke to Seán’s mother, Jackie, since he went missing and all she wanted was to bring him home and bury him.
“This is a terrible tragedy, but at least Jackie can now bring her son home and give him a proper burial,” he said.
Yesterday’s search involved hundreds of local people who volunteered their time in blistering sunshine.
More than 25 boats from various rescue groups including the Mulroy Lifeboat, the Lough Swilly Search and Rescue and the Greencastle Lifeboat took part in the search.
Hundreds of people also carried out shoreline searches at both Rathmullan and Buncrana.
Derek Flanagan, Coast Guard co-ordinator of the Irish Lifeboat service, said everyone involved in the search should be commended.
“It was very much a team effort and all those who took part in the search from the various lifeboat crews to the ordinary person on the ground searching the shoreline should be thanked. We are just so relieved that Seán has been found and that he can now be given a proper burial,” he said.
Arrangements were last night being made to take the body from Rathmullan to Derry for burial in the coming days.