Armagh man Odhran O’Neill (22) dies after ‘kayak capsizes’ in Thailand

Odhran O’Neill, from Lurgan in Co Armagh, was last seen kayaking in the Khao Sok National Park in Bangkok on Saturday December 17.

It is understood Odhran’s kayak had capsized and after saying he would “swim to shore”, he was not seen afterwards.

A local GAA club - whose senior player Rogan McVeigh is a cousin of Mr O’Neill - had issued an appeal for information, but confirmed on Saturday night that the 22-year-old’s body had been found.

“Unfortunately, it is not the outcome we had all hoped and prayed for. Odhrán’s body has been found this morning,” they posted on the Clann Éireann GAC Facebook page.

“Thank you to everyone who assisted the search efforts by sharing. Our thoughts and prayers are with the O’Neill, O’Dowd and McVeigh families at this very difficult time.

“Go raibh suaimhneas síoraí ar a anam dílis.”

A report from a local rescue centre in Thailand also shared details of the incident.

“The friends of the missing said that they were playing water together. Later, the other friends came up on the raft. The missing person continued to swim alone near the raft,” they said.

“Friends came to pick up the missing person to eat, but couldn't find him, so he informed the authorities to help him find him.

“The park used boats to search for the surface and the initial hill area. The missing person has now been found,” it added.

The area in which Mr O’Neill’s body was found had been experiencing bad weather, with passenger ferries in the Khao Sok National Park ‘ordered to stop operations’ on Sunday December 18.