Gardaí identify body recovered in west Cork as search continues

Gardaí have identified a body recovered from the sea in west Cork as being that of one of two Dutchmen missing since last weekend when it's believed they were swept into the sea off the Sheep's Head peninsula.

Gardaí have confirmed that the body recovered last Monday was that of Othman Rahmouni (33) from Amsterdam who had come to West Cork with his friend, Roland Deckers (31) to check on Mr Decker's family holiday home at Eskeraha on the Sheep's Head peninsula.

It‘s believed the two men were walking on the northern side of the peninsula sometime last Saturday afternoon when they were swept into the sea as windspeeds reached Force 11 Storm Force and waves battered the coastline.

Mr Rahmouni's two brothers arrived in West Cork on Wednesday night accompanied by Mr Decker's parents, Herman and Karen and sister, Lorinda and they were briefed by Supt Mick Fitzpatrick of Bantry Garda Station and members of the Irish Coastguard on the search.

Michael O'Regan of the Irish Coastguard Goleen Coast and Cliff Rescue said they had shown the families where searchers recovered Mr Rahmouni's body on Monday before resuming their search for Mr Deckers who remains missing.

According to Mr Regan, the weather forecast for tomorrow morning should allow searchers comb a further stretch of the northern coastline of the Sheep's Head peninsula at low tide which is scheduled for 11.30am and which will expose further stretches of the shore.