Search for mountain climber in Co Mayo called off as body of man discovered

A major search operation for a mountain climber in Co Mayo was called off on Wednesday after the body of a man was discovered.

The man in his 30s sent a photograph of himself from the summit of Mweelrea near Westport at about 3.30pm on Monday. The image was his last-known contact and his family has been unable to get in touch with him since then.

It is understood the man is originally from the Mayo-Galway region, but had been living in the UK.

Mayo Civil Defence said Mayo Mountain Rescue requested its assistance in relation to the search on Tuesday.

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Transport and drone support was provided on Wednesday morning, however, the search concluded “following the discovery of the missing person”, it said.

The mountain rescue team, along with the Coast Guard, did an initial search of the mountain on Monday evening, tracking the main descension route.

The operation resumed on Tuesday morning and continued until 9pm, with the Rescue 118 helicopter conducting an aerial search in the evening.

Mountain rescuers from around the country assisted with the search, alongside civil defence volunteers, the Coast Guard, gardaí and experienced members of the public.