A post-mortem examination was carried out last night on the body of Co Tyrone schoolboy Brendan Rushe after he was found in shallow water in Donegal Bay.
A nine-day search involving hundreds of gardaí and civilians came to an end when Brendan's body was taken from the water less than 500 metres from the pier in the centre of Donegal town.
It was uncovered as the tide reached its lowest point, exposing mudflats in the bay. A line of gardaí and civilian searchers spotted the body partially submerged in a channel of water shortly before 11 a.m.
Searchers and local people joined in prayers as Brendan was brought ashore and a local priest administered last rites. His body was then removed to Letterkenny General Hospital where he was identified by his parents, John and Collette.
Mr Rushe said he and his wife were devastated but thanked everybody who had joined in the search. "It's been a very hard morning for us. We had always kept up hope that he would be found alive and we are devastated by this."
The 15-year-old schoolboy went missing after attending a disco in Donegal town last Sunday night week. He was due to get a bus home afterwards to Castlederg but did not travel with his friends.
The last confirmed sighting of him was when he spoke to gardaí in the centre of Donegal at about 4 a.m. on Monday.
He gave them his name and address and said he was going to get a bus home. A B&B owner reported a youth calling to her house at about 5 a.m. but it has not been possible to confirm if this was Brendan.
Gardaí said last night they were awaiting the outcome of the post-mortem and could not comment on how the teenager died.
Supt John McFadden, who led the investigation, said it had been one of the biggest operations carried out in the county. "Hundreds of people gave up their time in atrocious weather to help in the search and I want to thank them all."
A family friend, Mr Eugene Harper, who was among those who found the body, said: "It was sickening to see him lying out there. The last time I saw him was to give him a lift into town a few weeks ago. He was a nice easy-going and civil young fella. But I am just glad for the family that the body has been found and they can bring him home."