Inquest Hears Noah Donohoe's Body Was Located 'Quickly and Safely' in Storm Drain
A police officer has testified at Belfast Coroner's Court that the body of 14-year-old Noah Donohoe was discovered in a water tunnel as "quickly and safely" as was possible given the hazardous conditions. The inquest, now in its sixth week with a jury, heard detailed evidence about the search operation that unfolded after the schoolboy disappeared in June 2020.
Hazardous Search Conditions in 'Complete and Utter Darkness'
Sergeant Hutchings, who served as the lead police search adviser during the operation, described the extremely dangerous environment within the storm drain system in Northwood Linear Park. He explained that officers faced significant risks including confined spaces, potential slips, hazardous gases, and variable water levels. A separate witness, Owen McGivern from the Department for Infrastructure Rivers, characterized the tunnel network as having "complete and utter darkness" beyond the initial entrance, where visibility was essentially zero.
Methodical Search Operation Details Revealed
The court heard how Sergeant Hutchings initiated the search of the storm drain on Tuesday, June 23, 2020, after noticing that a hatch door to the culvert could be opened. Noah had last been seen on Northwood Road the previous Sunday, close to where the culvert is located. The search team utilized both cameras and officers to navigate the underground water tunnel system, but the operation was suspended multiple times later in the week due to rising water levels that increased the danger.
"There was no obvious sign of Noah but they could not assure me he was not in there," Sergeant Hutchings told the inquest, explaining why he contacted the PSNI diving team to continue the search. At approximately 10am on Saturday, June 27, he was informed that Noah's body had been located in the storm drain.
Personal Motivation and Search Challenges
When questioned by counsel for the coroner Declan Quinn, Sergeant Hutchings revealed his personal connection to the case, stating: "I wanted to find Noah. I have teenage kids, teenage boys. So I know how his mum had felt and with the experience I had, I wanted to find him." The officer said he had wanted to stay on duty beyond his working hours on Monday and Tuesday evenings but had been prevented from doing so.
The search faced additional complications from well-meaning community members. Sergeant Hutchings described how crowds gathered at Linear Park on Wednesday to help search for Noah but ultimately "got in the way" of professional search teams. He noted that people arrived in inappropriate footwear and with prams, and referenced a YouTube video showing hundreds of people congregating in the park during Covid restrictions.
Tunnel Safety and Access Concerns
The inquest also examined safety aspects of the culvert system. Malachy McGowan, representing Noah's mother Fiona Donohoe, highlighted that the grill over the culvert entrance was a debris screen with bars wide enough to allow a person to pass through. McGivern confirmed that the Department for Infrastructure Rivers accepted some local residents could access the area from their back gardens, though he stated he didn't know specifically about children visiting the area.
McGowan pointed to media reports following Noah's death that showed a local parent raising concerns about children accessing the culvert entrance area. He asked whether consulting with local residents would be the best way to identify such risks, to which McGivern agreed.
Background to the Tragic Case
Noah Donohoe, a pupil at St Malachy's College, was 14 years old when his naked body was found in the storm drain tunnel in north Belfast in June 2020. He had disappeared six days earlier after leaving home on his bike to meet friends in the Cavehill area. A post-mortem examination determined the cause of death was drowning.
The inquest heard that de-silting work in the tunnel network had begun before Noah's disappearance but was paused due to Covid restrictions and complications with contaminated material removal. McGivern noted that "unfortunately Noah happened" during this pause in maintenance work.
The jury conducted a site visit on Monday to the location where Noah's body was discovered. The inquest is scheduled to resume on Wednesday with further testimony expected.
