Search for man focuses on river

THE Civil Defence Unit using boats and underwater cameras joined in the search yesterday for a 26-year-old man who hasn’t been seen for nearly three weeks.

The Cork City Civil Defence Unit and the Blackwater Search & Rescue Unit trawled the River Lee looking for Stephen O’Connor.

Mr O’Connor, who is single and from Inishmore Park, Ballincollig, was last seen in the town’s Main Street on December 9.

Superintendent Con Cadogan said that Mr O’Connor had told people that evening that he was going to take a bus into Cork city to see friends, although there was no evidence that he actually did so.

When he left home that day he didn’t take his mobile phone with him.

Supt Cadogan said that there had been no confirmed or unconfirmed sightings of Mr O’Connor since December 9.

Yesterday morning the Civil Defence Unit and the search and rescue team launched four boats into the River Lee between the Angler’s Rest Pub and the Regional Park in Ballincollig.

Gardaí from Ballincollig and Gurranabraher combed the riverbank.

In the afternoon the river search concentrated on the lower reaches of the river.

When Mr O’Connor was last seen he was wearing a three-quarter-length black leather jacket over a white hoody-top, blue jeans, and white runners.

He is described as 5ft 11ins tall, of average build and with short black hair.

Supt Cadogan said Mr O’Connor’s parents were very distraught and the thoughts of all involved in the search were with them. “We are anxious to hear from anybody who may have seen Mr O’Connor.”

Anybody with information is asked to contact Ballincollig Garda Station at 021 4871222.