The death of two young Irishmen, David Higgins (26) and Alex McGourty (19), in a kayaking accident in south America was a tragedy of enormous proportions.
Mr Higgins, from Kerry, and Mr McGourty, from Sligo, are believed to have been caught by a flash weekend flood with three friends in a remote part of central Ecuador.
Two of the group were eventually found alive after a massive rescue operation, but Englishman Adam Vaughen was still missing last night and there were growing fears for his safety.
While the victims were all said to be experienced kayakers, who had travelled extensively, the fate of their expedition demonstrated the significant risks associated with adventure sports in isolated locations.
