Police in Ireland searching for a man who went missing on one of the country’s major tourist attractions after an alleged assault have found a body.
It was found on Monday morning in the water at Sliabh Liag – some of Europe’s highest sea cliffs – in County Donegal.
The Irish Coast Guard and police removed the body from the scene and took it to a local hospital where a post-mortem will take place.
Police previously said they were investigating an alleged assault that happened between Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 June and asked anyone “who observed any activity which drew their attention” to come forward.
Two people – a man in his 30s and a woman in her 20s – were arrested after a car accident on 25 June around 50km (31 miles) from Sliabh Liag.
The man was arrested for alleged drink-driving and was rearrested on suspicion of assault as he attended court in relation to the first arrest, according to the Belfast Telegraph.
The pair were later released without charge.
The missing man’s identity has not been confirmed despite speculation he is in his 60s and from Northern Ireland.
Sliabh Liag was closed to tourists for five days as Irish police, the Irish Coast Guard and Donegal Mountain Rescue searched for the missing man.
Irish police later searched the nearby Teelin pier, where boat tours and other tourism businesses have been shut during the busy summer season due to the investigation.
Rock cliffs of Sliabh Liag at the Atlantic coast of Ireland
A house in the nearby fishing village of Killybegs has also been sealed off and a blood-splattered car searched as part of the investigation, according to local reports.
Police had previously refused to confirm they were searching for a missing person, instead saying they wanted information on an alleged assault.
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The head of the Irish police force Drew Harris previously told a local radio station a “very serious offence” had taken place and that the investigation could be upgraded to a murder investigation if necessary.
At a height of more than 600m, Sliabh Liag is a popular sightseeing and hiking destination in the Donegal Gaeltacht – an Irish-speaking area.
