Teenager’s body recovered from Suir following week-long search
The late Elisha Gault, whose remains were recovered from the River Suir on Sunday last following a week-long search. | Main Photo: Facebook
The worst fears of the Carrick-on-Suir community were confirmed on Sunday evening when the body of 14-year-old Elisha Gault was recovered from the River Suir, nine days after she was last seen alive. A Garda statement issued on Sunday evening confirmed that “the body of Elisha was discovered this evening the 25th March 2018 and has been taken to the mortuary in Waterford University Hospital. Gardaí would like to thank all the volunteers and search agencies in the search for Elisha and also to the media in their coverage of the appeals for assistance”.
The discovery was made in low water near the south bank of the Suir at Killowen (Portlaw) near the Fiddown Bridge, five miles downriver of Carrick by the crew of Rescue 117 (the Search and Rescue helicopter) shortly after 6pm on Sunday.
Divers subsequently recovered the body of the Comeragh College student, who was last positively identified at 10.15pm approximately on Saint Patrick’s Night (March 17th), crossing Dillon Bridge towards Carrickbeg.
A week-long search of the River Suir and some of its woodland environs, including Seskin Hill, began on March 18th, involving the Gardaí (led by Clonmel Superintendent William Leahy), the Civil Defence, Carrick-on-Suir River Rescue, the Fire Service, sub aqua teams, as well as Search and Rescue teams from Waterford, Mallow and Nenagh and other local volunteers.
The search was up scaled on Saturday afternoon last, with the Fairgreen area, adjoining the Carrick Swan GAA Clubhouse, used as a base for search teams. In a brief Facebook post on Monday morning, alongside a photo of Elisha, her devastated mother Grainne wrote: “My beautiful funny intelligent baby.” (See This Week’s Munster Express News Page 2 for more)