The body of a young Laois man on holiday in New Zealand was recovered in the Waikato River by police divers on Wednesday afternoon.
The dead man has been named as 21-year-old Eoin Doran from Camross, close to Borris-in-Ossory, and it is understood he got into trouble while swimming in a popular bathing spot.
Mr Doran had recently arrived in New Zealand on holiday with friends and was in the town of Taupo on Wednesday afternoon when he got into difficulty while swimming in a thermally heated tributary near Spa Park.
According to local reports, a number of people, including an off-duty fireman, jumped into the river in attempt to rescue the 21-year-old but were unsuccessful.
A rescue helicopter and coastguard boat were launched in the area to search for Mr Doran and a body was spotted on the riverbed downstream from where the six friends were swimming.
Police divers from Wellington later retrieved the body and a local police officer described it as a sad event that had quickly turned around a situation where friends were having a good time in New Zealand.
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed it was offering consular assistance to Mr Doran’s family.
