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An inquest into the death of Belfast schoolboy Noah Donohoe revealed that efforts to search a local park following his disappearance were delayed due to “hostile” behavior from some members of the public. Noah, aged 14, was found deceased in an underground storm drain tunnel a week after he went missing in June 2020.
A former police inspector, Philip Menary, who was part of a hazardous environment team involved in the search operation, provided evidence at the inquest. Menary explained that the specialized team began searching the storm drain tunnel three days after Noah went missing. He described the tunnel as containing various obstacles such as stone and metal debris, along with silt and toxins. Despite these difficulties, Menary confirmed that the obstructions would not have prevented someone from navigating that section of the tunnel.
The overall search encompassed not only the underground tunnel but also nearby locations including Linear Park and Cave Hill. Menary said the search in Linear Park, close to where Noah disappeared, faced challenges due to the large number of people present who were attempting to assist with the search. However, the search had to be temporarily suspended because the crowd grew too large and some individuals began displaying hostile behavior, hindering the operation. Menary emphasized that most people present were genuinely motivated to help find Noah.
Regarding the conditions within the tunnel, Menary described it as a “very challenging environment to navigate” and noted that it was “very cold.” He added, “I believe it would be a very difficult place to survive if you were naked.” The initial focus of the underground search was on the upstream, non-tidal portion of the tunnel, during which the team called out Noah’s name as well as “police.” However, searching the downstream section, which included the area where Noah’s body was ultimately discovered, proved difficult due to daily tidal flows from Belfast Lough. The inquest heard that the tunnel runs beneath part of the Seaview football grounds heading toward Belfast Lough
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