The search is continuing for an Irish teenager who fell overboard while holidaying on a cruise ship in the Caribbean.
Lynsey O'Brien, from south Dublin, is feared drowned after she disappeared early on Thursday while on a trip with her family. The search for the 15-year-old began after a family member told staff on the Costa Magica cruise liner she had fallen overboard.
As news of her disappearance reached classmates at Loreto High School, Beaufort, Rathfarnham, principal Liz Cogan described the situation as "terrible".
"It's a very difficult time for all of us," Ms Cogan said. "She was a popular, great youngster, who loved dancing and drama and sports such as basketball."
She said Lynsey, who was in transition year, had an older sister in the 5th year and another due to start at the school soon. "We all know her family very well - it's terrible," she said.
Yesterday students came to the school to offer comfort to Lynsey's classmates and Ms Cogan and counsellors were also on hand to look after her distraught friends.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said Irish Embassy staff in Mexico were offering consular assistance to the family.
A search for the schoolgirl, led by the Mexican authorities including the coastguard, was continuing, the spokeswoman said.
Luigi Norsa, a spokesman for Italian company Costa Crociere, which owns the Costa Magica, said the search had started as soon as the alarm was raised.
"What we know is that when the ship was around 20 miles from the Mexican coast and around 60 miles from the point of Cozumel, a member of the family of this girl informed the command of the ship that the girl fell overboard.
"The ship immediately started the search and informed the Mexican coastguard and the American coastguard too, and started the search in coordination with the Mexican coastguard," he said.
He told RTE Radio the company currently did not have an exact idea as to what had happened and investigations were underway.
The ship had been released and was now in Cozumel, an island off the Yucatan Penisula, while the Mexican coastguard was continuing to search for the girl, he said.
PA