Search for missing man called off as body found in Galway
The search for a Belfast man reported missing in Co Clare on Monday has been called off following the discovery of a body in Galway this evening, .
The body, believed to be that of a man, was found on a beach near Salthill at around 6pm.
Gardaí, the Coast Guard and Civil Defence had been searching for a 22-year-old man from Belfast who failed to return to his tour bus on Monday afternoon.
The man had been travelling on the coach which stopped at Ballyreen on the coast road between Fanore and Lisdoonvarna.
The man was last seen at about 12.30pm and the alarm raised at around 2.30pm when he hadn’t returned to his group at the designated time.
Following a request for assistance from Gardaí, the Irish Coast Guard mounted a land, sea and air search.
Volunteers from Clare Civil Defence joined the search at first light on Tuesday and launched a drone to scan the coastline, local beaches and surrounding lands.
Earlier this evening, a body was discovered near Salthill and Gardaí were notified.
The missing man’s family, who had travelled to Clare, have made their way to the morgue at University Hospital Galway where a formal identification of the body is expected to take place.
Meanwhile the search that had been continuing in Co Clare has been stood down.
