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21/09/2009
Laos Tragedy As Honeymooner Drowns
The body of the Irish tourist who went missing in Laos last Thursday has been recovered from a river in the north of the country.
The victim - who was on his honeymoon - was Michael O'Sullivan, a 39-year-old from Blackpool in Cork.
He went missing during a tubing trip on the Nam Xong River.
Tubing is a form of rafting very popular as a tourist activity in the region: it involves floating on a giant inner tube, of the type used in lorry tyres, down the usually placid river, which is flanked by spectacular mountain scenery.
Michael's sister, Stephanie, explained: "Last Thursday the river was in flood and just as darkness was falling Michael got caught in a current and was carried away in the dark after attempts by three men to get him to shore failed."
She said that the rescue attempt was hampered by the fact that in Laos day turns into night very quickly, without any twilight period.
Mr O'Sullivan and his new wife, formerly Ilna James, were on honeymoon in Vietnam.
The couple had been part of a group of mainly American and Australian tourists visiting Vang Vieng, a tiny town in northern Laos that is popular among backpackers.
Nineteen of the group, including his wife, managed to get out of the river safely after the accident.
She was part of the search team that recovered his body on Saturday, two days after the rafting accident.
(CL/BmcC)
The victim - who was on his honeymoon - was Michael O'Sullivan, a 39-year-old from Blackpool in Cork.
He went missing during a tubing trip on the Nam Xong River.
Tubing is a form of rafting very popular as a tourist activity in the region: it involves floating on a giant inner tube, of the type used in lorry tyres, down the usually placid river, which is flanked by spectacular mountain scenery.
Michael's sister, Stephanie, explained: "Last Thursday the river was in flood and just as darkness was falling Michael got caught in a current and was carried away in the dark after attempts by three men to get him to shore failed."
She said that the rescue attempt was hampered by the fact that in Laos day turns into night very quickly, without any twilight period.
Mr O'Sullivan and his new wife, formerly Ilna James, were on honeymoon in Vietnam.
The couple had been part of a group of mainly American and Australian tourists visiting Vang Vieng, a tiny town in northern Laos that is popular among backpackers.
Nineteen of the group, including his wife, managed to get out of the river safely after the accident.
She was part of the search team that recovered his body on Saturday, two days after the rafting accident.
(CL/BmcC)
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Ireland WeatherToday:Some low cloud lingering in the north and west through the day, although cloud should burn back to the coast as the day goes on. Elsewhere some good sunny spells with very little cloud. Warm with light winds. Maximum temperature 22 °C.Tonight:A sunny evening for most except where cloud lingers along the north coast. Cloud will increase for a lot of areas overnight with mist and fog patches developing. Minimum temperature 7 °C.
