Search for Donegal man stood down after body recovered from Galway Bay

A three-week search operation along the Galway coastline for a missing Burnfoot man has been stood down following the discovery of a body in Galway Bay.

Gardaí confirmed they were alerted to the discovery of a body near Traught Beach in Kinvara, County Galway, on Sunday, March 22. The deceased male was recovered by the RNLI and brought to shore.

The body has since been transferred to the mortuary at Galway University Hospital, where a postmortem examination will take place in due course. 

“The results of the examination will determine the course of the Garda investigation. The Coroner has been notified and enquiries are ongoing,” a spokesperson for An Garda Siochana said.

Sunday’s operation marked a significant effort in the search for the man, who was living in Galway and is believed to be in his late 30s, having previously lived in Buncrana for several years. The operation involved multiple agencies and volunteer groups.

Limerick Treaty Suicide Prevention (LTSP) assisted in the search at the request of Oranmore Maree Coastal Search Unit. Ground teams from LTSP were deployed to cover key shoreline areas, while drone units from the Limerick branch carried out aerial sweeps, enabling searchers to quickly and effectively scan difficult and hard-to-reach terrain.

A spokesperson for the Oranmore Maree Coastal Search Unit confirmed that the search had been stood down 

“We are saddened but grateful that a body was recovered from the waters of Galway Bay.”

“We wish to thank our Unit Zone Leaders, Boat crew, Drone operators, Base team, Catering team and Pastoral Care team and indeed all volunteers who put in a tremendous effort over the past two weeks or so.”

The search had been ongoing since March 5, when reports first emerged that a person had entered the River Corrib near Galway City. Over the following weeks, extensive searches were conducted by air, land, and sea, with strong support from local communities.

Numerous emergency services and volunteer organisations were involved in the operation, including Rescue 115, Oranmore Maree Coastal Search Unit, RNLI Galway Lifeboat, Cleggan Coast Guard, Galway Fire Service, Galway Gardai, HSE ambulance crews, and Galway Dog Search and Rescue.

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In the days leading up to the discovery, search organisers had renewed appeals for public assistance, describing the operation as a “significant effort” involving many groups covering vast areas of coastline.