Gardaí are treating the death of teenager James Sheehan as a tragic accident.
Mr Sheehan’s body was recovered from the Avoca river in Arklow, Co Wicklow, by search teams yesterday afternoon.
His remains were formally identified last night and, following a postmortem today, gardaí said his death was accidental.
The 18-year-old disappeared early on Sunday morning after a night out in Arklow. His body was discovered close to the south quay wall in the town at about 5pm.
More than 200 people from the community were involved in the search Mr Sheehan, who was seen 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 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.