Missing Michael McGinley who was last seen entering the River Foyle
THE family of a missing Derry man have made a heartfelt plea to the public for help as they continue to try and find his body.find his body.
Michael McGinley was captured on CCTV entering the River Foyle near Waterside Train Station in January.
The 27-year-old’s family believe he has taken his own life.
“When you’re walking past, you know you could be potentially walking past his body and not knowing,” his brother Samuel said.
“I am heartbroken – I don’t think it’ll hit me until we get him, until he’s out of that water.”
The search for Michael is now into its seventh week.
He went missing this day seven weeks ago and despite a widespread land and sea search there has been no sign of him.
In the last two years, Michael McGinley lost his parents to sudden illnesses.
His family say they want to recover him from the Foyle and lay him to rest beside his mum and dad.
But those efforts to recover his remains have been hampered by mindless vandals who have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to a Foyle Search and Rescue boat.
It was filled with water from a hose at its mooring at Queen’s Quay in the city centre.
Pat Carlin from Foyle Search and Rescue said: “It was completely flooded inside the engine, up to the very top.
“And in addition to that the boat was listing severely.
“We don’t know what their intention was, but there was definitely an intention if you’re flooding the boat to cause severe damage.
“They actually caused about £5,000 worth of damage. The boat is out of action – the boat is our sonar boat, it’s one of the most important boats we have.”
