Noah Donohoe inquest told drain 'easy to get into'

The inquest into the death of Noah Donohoe has been told that the culvert in the area where he disappeared was "easy to get into".

The body of the 14-year-old Belfast schoolboy was found in a water tunnel close to the M2 motorway almost a week after he disappeared in North Belfast in June 2020.

Appearing at the inquest into the boy's death, Sean McCarry from the Community Rescue Service said their volunteers went to the Northwood Road area after hearing that Noah's bicycle had been found.

He said they began searches in the general area, including behind local houses, where they discovered a culvert on waste ground.

The witness said the grille on top of the cover was "unlocked and could be easily opened".

He added that they realised that an adult could pass through the culvert.

He explained how their initial searches were focused on Cavehill, Noah's intended destination on the day of his disappearance.

He said their ongoing searches subsequently focused on many different areas.

Following the discovery of Noah's mobile phone at a play park in the area, the witness said they extended their searches to areas towards the city centre, Sailortown in the Docks, and the River Lagan.

He said their searches at Cavehill continued while other searches were in progress because they were aware that Noah could have accessed Cavehill from the North Belfast route he had taken on the day of his disappearance.

The witness said some of the grounds of Cavehill are "sometimes like a jungle".

Mr McCarry's evidence was preceded by a video of a BBC documentary, The Search, which showcased the voluntary work of the Community Rescue Service, with a particular focus on their volunteers during the searches for Noah, alongside hundreds of members of the public.

Appearing in the documentary, Fiona Donohoe, Noah's mother, described the Community Rescue volunteers as "a light in the darkness" and she also paid tribute to the members of the public for their role in trying to find Noah.