THE BODY of missing fisherman Robert McLaughlin was formally identified by his family yesterday after it washed up on the Donegal coast.
Mr McLaughlin (41), from Malin Head, disappeared along with his uncle Edward Doherty (65), when their lobster boat Jennifer sank on November 1st last. Mr Doherty’s body was recovered just a few hours after he went missing a mile offshore at Glengad.
An extensive search involving more than a dozen local vessels, lifeboat crews from Lough Swilly and Portrush, as well as a helicopter from Sligo, managed to recover the boat.
However, Mr McLaughlin’s body was not recovered until yesterday. Mr McLaughlin, a single man, who lived with his 81-year-old mother Mary, was an experienced fisherman.
Just after 10.30am yesterday a fisherman spotted a body on the shore close to Malin Head. The body was taken to Letterkenny hospital where relatives made a formal identification.
A neighbour in the fishing village said it was a small consolation that Mr McLaughlin’s body had finally been recovered.
“It was heartbreaking for his family – especially his mother Mary. She would look out to sea each day hoping that Robert would be found. It’s a small consolation but at least she can give her son a proper burial and have a grave to visit,” he said.