Body discovered in search for missing Galway swimmer
The Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter, Rescue 115, hovers over the area where the body was found. Picture: Media West (Ireland)
Rescue crews searching for a swimmer missing in Galway for over a week have discovered a body on the shoreline a couple of hundred metres away from where she went missing.
The search for Máire Ní Fhátharta from Spiddal is one of the largest undertaken in the area and it was just about to be stood down ahead of a status red weather alert when the body was discovered.
The 32-year old went missing after going for a swim at Silverstrand near Barna in Galway last Tuesday week, November 12.
The body of another swimmer, 74-year old songwriter Johnny Duhan, was found in the water at Rusheen Bay a few hours after he was reported missing after going for his daily swim at Silverstrand the same morning. He was laid to rest in Killaan Cemetery in east Co Galway last week.
The search for Máire Ní Fhátharta has been ongoing for eleven days. Last weekend over 500 volunteers joined multi-agency crews including the Civil Defence in searching the shoreline around Galway Bay, with over one hundred vessels on the water.
These included multi-agency crews being joined by fishing vessels, jet-skis, kayakers, sailing boats and paddle boarders. Two fishing boats have been trawling Galway Bay for over a week.
A highly organised shoreline search, with crews going out twice a day in line with tidal movements, have been operating in dedicated zones from Connemara to Galway city, on through Oranmore to south Galway and along the north Co Clare coasts.
Over 200 divers from all over the country took part in the search this Friday in a concerted effort before Storm Bert arrives on the west coast, which would necessitate State agencies to step down.
Hundreds of volunteers joined family, neighbours and friend in a massive shoreline search from first light this morning. Smaller crews had gone out at 2.30am this morning as the tide changed.
A fundraising drive launched to help defray the costs of the search had reached €225,000 by Friday morning.
The search was close to being stepped down when a body was discovered on the shoreline between the beach at Silverstrand and Barna village shortly before 4pm.
News of the discovery spread quickly. The Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 115, which had been on a detailed search along the Clare and south Galway coastline quickly sped to the scene and hovered above as a RNLI vessel took the body on board.
The body was taken to Galway Docks and from there to University Hospital Galway where identification and a post mortem will take place.
Dozens of searchers who were operating in units along the shoreline stood down and slowly made their way back to their base at Silverstrand. Many of them hugged each as their lengthy and exhausting search came to a successful conclusion.
There were emotional scenes as family and friends of the missing swimmer arrived at the scene. They hugged each other and hugged and thanked many of the searchers.
A flotilla of small vessels which had been searching off the coast all day started to make their way back to Galway Docks and to Renville, as other craft began returning home to Aran Islands or back to their base in Rossaveal.
A statement from An Garda Síochána confirmed a body had been discovered this Friday afternoon and paid tribute to all who had taken part in the search.
“Gardaí – with the assistance of our colleagues in the Irish Coastguard, RNLI, Civil Defence and a number of local and national search units, along with hundreds of volunteers – have continued to search for a female swimmer missing from Silver Strand since 12th November, 2024.
“The body has been transferred to the morgue at University Hospital Galway, where a post-mortem examination is due to take place.
“The search has for now been stood down, however formal identification has yet to occur and this process remains ongoing.
“An Garda Síochána continues to provide our support to the loved ones of the missing woman and a Family Liaison Officer has been appointed.
“An Garda Síochána would like to thank the local community in Galway, volunteer organisations, and search & recovery services for their care and assistance over the past eleven days.”
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