Teams searching for a missing Downpatrick man discovered a body in the water in the Mayo town of Westport.
Gardai and others, including a search team from the north, were trying to find 31-year-old Downpatrick man Daryll Wade when they discovered the body yesterday.
“The body was removed to Mayo University Hospital for a post mortem, the results of which will determine the course of the investigation,” Garda HQ said.
It is understood the circumstances surrounding the death are not being treated as suspicious at this stage.
A full scale search for Mr Wade was launched in Westport after it was confirmed over the weekend he was last seen in the town in the early hours of Saturday December 10.
K9 Search and Rescue, based in Bangor, joined the search on Sunday.
In a statement, the organisation said: “Over the last two days we have been conducting searches in Westport Co. Mayo, for a missing person originally from Downpatrick.
“We were assisted by colleagues from DWMRT Search Dogs & worked closely with Garda. During today’s searches, a body was located and recovered.”
Mr Wade, 31, left Downpatrick on Thursday December 8.
However, his family did not know his exact whereabouts until last Friday or Saturday. On Thursday, family members said he may have been in the Galway area.
He was last seen leaving a property in the Cluain Padraig / Quay Road area of Westport in the early hours of Saturday, December 10.
Darryl's cousin Agnes McKibben told Galway Beo Darryl was last seen by two men but the pair “don’t know where he is."
"The guys he was with...said he left them on the very early hours of the 10th the Saturday morning,” ."
Over the weekend, Darryl’s mother Maria McConvey said the family was devastated by his disappearance, which was "extremely out of character".
She said: "Darryl is a great young fella, this is so unlike him, and not his normal behaviour at all. Darryl is normally in contact with someone in the family every day, so it is extremely unusual for him not to be in touch."
Ms McConvey described her family's concern and the hope to have "Darryl home, safe and well".
South Down MLA Colin McGrath said: “This is the worst possible news that a family can receive so close to Christmas. My thoughts are with his family and friends at what will be an incredibly difficult time.”
