The search for a missing man whose friend was found drowned in the Grand Canal, Dublin, is to be widened. Ronan McGreevyreports.
David White (18), has been missing since last Sunday morning. Shoes similar to those worn by him were found near the canal in Clondalkin on Tuesday.
Garda divers recovered the body of Shane Coughlan (18), from the canal last Wednesday. A postmortem established that he died from drowning. Extra gardaí are to be drafted in from other units to assist in the search today.
Yesterday the Garda Air Support Unit lent assistance to the team of five divers who searched the canal for a third successive day. They were assisted by the Garda Technical Bureau with sniffer dogs.
David's father Alan sat in his taxi with his wife Marie while yesterday's search operation was going on. Other members of the family, including David's brother Paul (15), and sister Emma (8), and friends watched from Fonthill Road bridge.
The search, which has been concentrated between the ninth and 11th locks will be extended today to the area between the 11th and 12th locks. Supt John Hartnett said: "They [ Garda divers] have a section of the canal to finish and we will appraise after that.
"We have been searching the canal and the lands around it, but we are going to widen it. We will, though, still be concentrating in and around that general area. There is nothing to suggest that there is anything suspicious in what has happened here."
Two separate witnesses have come forward to say they spotted the pair at between 7.30am and 8am last Sunday around the Ninth Lock Road near the Esso garage and the canal at the Fonthill Road bridge.
The sightings are at least an hour after David called his brother Paul at 6.30am but left no message - the last time the pair were previously reported to be alive. They had earlier left a house party at a nearby housing estate at about 4.30am and went to the Esso garage to buy cigarettes and phone credit.
Supt Harnett said: "Now that we have these sightings, we want to make a fresh appeal to anybody who may have been out early and saw them around the area around the canal." The incident room at Clondalkin Garda station is at 01-666 7632.