The jury at the inquest into the tragic death of Noah Donohoe has been informed that the culvert in the area where he vanished was "unlocked and could be easily opened." This critical detail emerged during the fifth week of proceedings at Belfast Coroner's Court, shedding new light on the circumstances surrounding the teenager's disappearance and subsequent death.
Discovery of the Unlocked Culvert
Sean McCarry, the regional commander for the Community Rescue Service (CRS), provided a statement detailing the search efforts. He explained that a team of trained volunteers was deployed to the Northwood Road area after being alerted that Noah's bicycle had been discovered. During their search, they located a culvert on waste ground behind some houses.
Mr McCarry noted that the searchers observed the grill on top of the culvert "was unlocked and could be easily opened." The volunteers immediately suggested the culvert should be searched, as they believed an adult could pass through it. He emphasized that he made contact to state it was "easy to get into" the culvert and required examination by a team trained and equipped for confined spaces.
Intensive Search Efforts in Cavehill Area
At least 100 community search and rescue volunteers were called out to the Cavehill area, which had been the initial focus of the search for Noah. Mr McCarry described the terrain as dense, with passable areas but others that were "sometimes like the jungle." The search was described as "relentless" and driven by a "real sense of urgency," with volunteers combing through bushes, dense thickets, and water.
The court heard that updated information made the search "fluid," including a call to deploy searchers in the North Queen Street area where a phone was found. Police later contacted Mr McCarry in the early evening to report that Noah's bicycle had been found in Northwood Road.
Background of the Tragedy
Noah Donohoe, a 14-year-old pupil of St Malachy's College, left his home on his bike in June 2020 to meet two friends in the Cavehill area of north Belfast. Six days later, his naked body was discovered in a storm drain tunnel in the same region. A post-mortem examination concluded that the cause of death was drowning.
Earlier in the inquest, jurors watched a BBC documentary highlighting the work of the search team during the covid lockdown. It showcased the heartwarming response of the North Belfast community, who came out in large numbers to assist in the search. Noah's mother, Fiona Donohoe, recalled it as a "horrible" period, remembering her last moments with him: "He got on his bike and I was able to hug him and tell him I loved him." She added, "I phoned and I knew if he wasn't answering his phone something wasn't right."
The inquest continues to examine the events leading to Noah's death, with the unlocked culvert now a focal point of the investigation.
