Search of river Suir for missing man (18)

A LARGE scale co-ordinated search continued into last night for a missing teenager who entered the river Suir in Waterford early yesterday in an attempt to rescue his friend.

Named locally as Ross Grant (18), Manor St John in Lisduggan, Waterford, he is reported to have jumped into the river at about 4am yesterday.

Mr Grant and a friend were seen entering the water at the Clock Tower on the Quay. The alarm was raised and gardaí and the Waterford River Rescue Service responded immediately.

It is understood that a garda threw a lifebuoy to the men and saved Mr Grant's friend, who was taken to Waterford Regional Hospital where he was described yesterday as comfortable.

Gardaí co-ordinated a search of the river yesterday in low tide from Grannagh to the Clock Tower.

The Civil Defence, RNLI and Coastguard units from Fethard-on-Sea, Dunmore East, Tramore and New Ross and Carrick-on-Suir joined in the search yesterday.

The Coastguard helicopter from Waterford Regional Airport circled the area throughout the day.

Meanwhile, three divers from the Garda Water Unit combed the mud downriver from Rice Bridge to the Clock Tower during the afternoon's low tide.

Irish Coastguard spokesman Declan Geoghan said a report was received at 4am yesterday that two youths had entered the river near the bridge in Waterford.

"One of them was recovered by the gardaí in a boat called the Suir Hope . . . we tasked the coastguard helicopter to do a search of the river. The low water gives us an opportunity to search the river as far as Cheekpoint," he said.

This is the second time that the Grant family has been struck by tragedy. John Grant (20), a first cousin to Ross Grant, was killed when his car careered off the road at an accident black spot in Tramore last June.