the island off the coast of Thailand to his family in Co Tyrone
The body of Co Tyrone man Connor Keightley has been formally identified in Thailand, his family said this morning.
The Coookstown man last contacted his family on Christmas Day, the day before the tsunami devastated parts of Thailand, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, killing some 150,000 people.
Family statement
A statement issued by family members Ms Dorina Duffin and Mr Damien Coyle this morning said: "The Keightley family wishes to announce that the formal identification process has shown that the body of Connor Keightley has now been found in Krabi, Thailand.
"The family wish to thank those individuals and agencies who have assisted them in their search for Connor. Particular thanks is offered to the Minister and staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Ambassador and staff of the Irish Embassy in Kuala Lumpur and the Honorary Consulate in Bangkok, and the Garda Síochána.
"We thank the people of Ireland and beyond for their kind thoughts, their generosity and prayers. This has been a pillar of strength for the entire family circle during this tragic time.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with those who are missing or injured and those who have lost loved ones. Finally, we know now that Connor was and now is in paradise," the statement concluded.
Mr Keightley would have been 31 on New Year's Day.
Later Conor Keightley's father, Dermot, said: "It is the news we feared, but at least we have found him. "I suppose we can count ourselves lucky, there are a lot of people who don't have a body, won't have a grave they can go to."
He said his son, who would have been 31 on New Year's Eve, had spent a year on a working holiday in Australia until his visa ran out last November.
"He stopped off in Thailand for a holiday on the way home. He would have been home at the end of January or early February. "He had not made any plans about what he would do when he got back; he had worked as a photographer, he might have taken that up again. Sadly now that is not going to happen."
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Dermot Ahern, today expressed his condolences at the Keightley family's announcement of the positive identification of Connor's remains in Krabi, Thailand.
In a statement he said: "Sadly we today have confirmation that the tragic events in southern Asia have claimed the life of a second Irish citizen. I want to extend, on my own behalf and on behalf of the Government, my most sincere condolences to Connor's family and friends."
Sinn Féin MP for Mid-Ulster, Mr Martin McGuinness, expressed condolences to the Keightley family.
"This has been the news that the Keightley family had been hoping against hope would not come. People have watched closely as Connor's sisters and other family members searched in Thailand for any news of his whereabouts", Mr McGuinness said.
"I would wish to express to the Keightley family my own deepest condolences at the news that Connor's body has been identified and I am sure that the wider community in Cookstown will continue to rally around the family in the wake of this tragedy."
Mr Keightley is the second Irish person to be confirmed dead following the Asia tsunami disaster.
The first Irish victim, Eilís Finnegan (27), also died on Phi Phi island. The former flight attendant had just arrived in the resort with her boyfriend when the massive wave hit on St Stephen's Day.
Two other Irish people - Ms Lucy Coyle (29) from Dublin, and Mr Michael Murphy (23), from Wexford - are still missing since the tsunami struck.
Ms Coyle, an accountant from Killiney, left London on December 17th but has not been in contact since the disaster.
A brother of Mr Murphy, from Ballyconnigar, Co Wexford, has travelled to Thailand in the hope of finding out what happened to him.
Gardaí are helping families searching for loved ones in the worst affected areas.
DNA samples are being taken from close relatives in a bid to determine if missing Irish people are among the dead found in Thailand. The samples will be sent to Asia to see if they match DNA from bodies recovered there.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the country's biggest union, Siptu, are to announce a scheme later today whereby workers can donate an hour's pay to the aid appeal for the tsunami disaster.
It is expected workers will fill in a form to give to their payroll department giving consent for a deduction from their salaries.
It is understood IBEC, the employers' body, has given its agreement in principle to accommodate the appeal.
ICTU and Siptu are also expected to announce donations to the appeal.
(additional reporting PA)