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Noah Donohoe Likely Entered Storm Drain Alive, Expert Tells Inquest
🇮🇪 Ireland /Disasters & Emergencies

Noah Donohoe Likely Entered Storm Drain Alive, Expert Tells Inquest

From RTÉ News · (3d ago) English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • An expert witness told an inquest that Noah Donohoe was likely alive when he entered a storm drain in north Belfast in June 2020, where his body was later found.
  • Professor Carolyn Roberts concluded that Noah likely climbed through a metal grille into the culvert alive and may have become disoriented in the dark, complex tunnel with rising water levels, leading to drowning.

A crucial inquest into the tragic death of Noah Donohoe has heard expert testimony suggesting the 14-year-old was likely alive when he entered the storm drain system where his body was discovered six days after he went missing. Professor Carolyn Roberts, commissioned by the Coroner’s Service, presented findings indicating that Noah likely climbed through the bars of a metal grille into the culvert. This detail is significant, as it counters potential assumptions that he may have fallen or been placed there unconscious.

The bars of the grille are sufficiently widely spaced that a large child or even a small man could deliberately climb through without undue effort.

— Professor Carolyn RobertsExpert's finding on the accessibility of the storm drain entrance.

The expert's report, based on site visits and extensive material review, paints a picture of a young boy navigating a dark, complex, and increasingly dangerous environment. Professor Roberts suggested that Noah could have become disoriented within the storm drain tunnel, which runs under major infrastructure like the M2 motorway and train lines. The rising water levels, particularly with the high tide occurring hours after his last sighting, created conditions conducive to drowning. The report emphasizes the possibility of Noah becoming confused in the low light and intricate network of pipes.

In my opinion it is hence likely that the boy climbed into (the) culvert entrance alive, slipping between the vertical metal bars of the metal grille.

— Professor Carolyn RobertsConclusion on Noah Donohoe's likely entry into the storm drain.

While the exact sequence of events remains harrowing, the inquest is piecing together a plausible scenario based on forensic and expert analysis. The findings suggest Noah entered the Premier Drive stream culvert alive on the afternoon of June 21, 2020. The possibility that he survived for several tidal cycles was considered but deemed unlikely due to environmental conditions. The focus remains on understanding the circumstances that led to his death, providing answers for his grieving family and the community.

The layout is relatively complex and for an unfamiliar person moving in semi darkness, in my opinion, it would appear possible to become disorientated, this is the section from which Noah’s body was recovered.

— Professor Carolyn RobertsDescription of the disorientation risk within the storm drain tunnel.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by RTÉ News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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