Navy and Garda divers join search for missing student

THE search for a college student who has been missing for five days will focus today on the area around the Port of Cork’s city centre quays.

Up to 50 people were involved in extensive searches of the River Lee and its banks yesterday for Brían O Tuama, a second-year arts student at University College Cork (UCC).

The 19-year-old from Ballyvourney was last seen outside the McDonald’s restaurant on Daunt Square, at the junction of St Patrick’s Street and Grand Parade, at 2am on Thursday.

The alarm was raised on Friday morning when he failed to return to his student accommodation at Victoria Cross.

Hundreds of people joined Brían’s family members and friends, several of whom travelled from Ballyvourney, to search the river and the city centre over the weekend.

Several dives were conducted on the channels of the river between the city centre westwards towards Victoria Cross. But the focus of the search switched eastwards yesterday.

Teams of navy and Garda divers conducted several dives in the channel alongside Custom House and Albert Quays.

The five-person navy diving team conducted over three dives in the area but found nothing.

Some 70 volunteers were involved in the yesterday’s search and they were joined by people in ribs and kayaks.

Dozens more swept the north and south banks of the river downstream towards Tivoli on the north side and Blackrock Castle on the south side.

Navy divers will be on standby again today if they are needed.

Gardaí again offered thanks from the missing man’s family and on behalf of the emergency services to volunteers who have joined the search effort.

Mr O Tuama is described as six feet tall and of thin build, with longish dark-brown hair and blue eyes. When last seen, he was wearing a grey Abercrombie hooded top and blue jeans.

“We would again appeal for anybody who can help locate this young man to call Anglesea Street station at 021-4522000,” a Garda spokesman said.

Meanwhile, a search for a 43-year-old west Limerick woman, who has been missing since Sunday night, will be resumed at first light in Ballybunion, Co Kerry, today.

The alarm was raised at 8.20pm on Sunday after the woman had not returned from a walk in Ballybunion.

Her car was found on a driveway to the beach and her torch was found on a cliff-top.

The search is being co-ordinated by Ballybunion Sea and Cliff Rescue, with more than 20 of its members involved.

Between 40 and 50 people, including members of the woman’s family and friends, were involved in yesterday’s operation.

A Shannon-based rescue helicopter was also called in.

The search was yesterday concentrated on beaches and cliffs in Ballybunion.

The missing woman, who is married with a family, is understood to be from the Bruff area.