Search for teenager resumes as police check sighting of man falling from bridge

A search along the River Foyle in Derry is continuing for an 18-year-old man missing since last week

Kieran McKeon disappeared after leaving a hotel in the city in the early hours of Thursday having travelled from Dublin with his girlfriend Alexandra O'Brien (21). The pair had left St John of God's hospital, Stillorgan on Wednesday for Derry. She is understood to be a vulnerable person. Her body was recovered from the River Foyle later on Thursday after some of her belongings were discovered on Foyle Bridge near Culmore on the north side of Derry.

The PSNI have appealed for help from the public and the search may be extended inland if nothing is found by Thursday. They are also investigating a report, confirmed by Foyle Search and Rescue, that another man was seen falling from Foyle Bridge at about 7am yesterday. A crime is not suspected.

A letter was found taped to a lamp standard on the Foyle Bridge yesterday, signed by a woman who wrote that she was a relative of Ms O'Brien.

The letter, together with a bouquet of flowers, was found on the bridge close to the spot where Alexandra was seen falling from the Foyle Bridge last Thursday. As the river search for Mr McKeon continued for the fifth day yesterday, Foyle Search and Rescue said: "I can confirm that we are now searching for two males in the River Foyle."

Craig Smyth, spokesman for the search said: "We were actually on the river searching for Kieran when we received the report but apparently eye witnesses reported that the man, who fell off the bridge at 7 a.m., sank very quickly. We were joined in the double search operation by colleagues from Sligo, Greencastle and Coleraine."

Foyle Search and Rescue is co-ordinating the search along with the Coastguard from Greencastle, based a short distance along the north shore of Lough Foyle in Co Donegal. Sligo Coastguard has also assisted in the search.