SYDNEY, Australia – The Irish tourist whose body was recovered from a river in Australia has been identified.
It is believed that the 25-year-old Niall Quinn man fell from the top deck of a houseboat into the Murray River on the New South Wales-Victorian border overnight.
Mr Quinn is understood to originally be from Co Armagh, and to have been working as a builder.
Police said the man, who was staying on the houseboat with a group of friends, fell from the top deck and into the river at Echuca Moama about 1.40am local time.
His friends reportedly jumped in to save him but were unable to find him.
โOn the way down heโs actually collided with the bottom deck of the houseboat and fallen into the water and gone under,โ NSW Police Forceโs Acting Superintendent Peter Hayes said.
Emergency services and about 10 private boats joined the police in searching for the man, and Victoria Police divers recovered a body at about 3.45pm local time.
it is understood Mr Quinn was part of a group of Irish living in Melbourne. His parents are traveling from Northern Ireland.
Police said there did not appear to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding the incident.