Two Irish teenagers, both aged 18, who recently graduated from the same school in Dublin have died while on holiday on Ios Island, Greece.
Andrew O’Donnell and Max Wall arrived on the Greek island as part of a big group of around 70 students to celebrate their graduation.
According to Greek police, on Saturday many youngsters consumed large amounts of alcohol, partying until the early hours of the morning.
Andrew O’Donnell’s body was found by police at around 9.20am local time on Sunday on rocks in a field outside the island’s main town of Hora. His body showed signs of having fallen but it was unclear whether the fall had been from a height.
O’Donnell had been reported missing earlier in the morning by a friend, who was with him the night before in Hora. While making their way back to their accommodation on foot, the two became separated.
A few hours later Max Wall was found unconscious by a member of the public near the island’s port at around 2pm. The emergency services were informed and he was transferred to hospital by ambulance, where he was pronounced dead.
Police in Greece have opened separate investigations into the deaths of two Dublin classmates.
Tributes for Irish students who died on Ios
In a statement, St Michael’s College said it had been a “day of immense sadness”.
It said that Andrew O’Donnell was a “popular classmate and friend” and a popular member of the school’s football team.
Max Wall, it continued, was “extremely popular with staff and students alike”.
“Our thoughts are with Max’s family at this awful time and with his friends who have experienced such shocking loss over the last 24 hours.”
Irish Higher Education Minister Simon Harris added the news was “devastating”.
He said his thoughts were with “all leaving cert students abroad in Greece who were enjoying holidays after exams and are now encountering such shock and pain and grief”.
A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman in Dublin confirmed it is aware of both cases and is providing consular assistance. “As with all consular cases, the Department does not comment on the details of individual cases,” it said.
Ios is renowned for its vivid nightlife
The Greek island of Ios, or Nios as locals call it, is a charming Cycladic island renowned among the young for its vivid nightlife.
It is located between Santorini, Paros and Naxos islands and offers a plethora of lovely bays and beaches.
Chora, the capital, is a white Cycladic village, full of stairs and narrow paths that make it inaccessible for cars.
Today, the main path through this village is completely taken over by tourism with restaurants, boutiques, bars and discothèques catering to visitors.
Despite the great number of tourists and the frenetic nightlife, Chora has kept its traditional character and colors, as it has been proclaimed a preserved settlement.
Apart from the port and the village of Chora, Ios has a few small settlements that consist of groups of spread-out houses to the back of major beaches.
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