An Irish teenager has died after searching a Greek Island for his friend who had fallen to his death.
The pair tragically lost their lives in separate incidents over the weekend in Greek island of Ios, a very hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides located halfway between Naxos and Santorini.
The two schoolboys, Andrew O'Donnell and Max Wall, were recent graduates from Dublin's St. Michael's College, and were just 18 years old when they died on a holiday to celebrate the end of their exams.
Andrew and Max travelled to the island as part of a larger group with their secondary school.
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During a night out on Saturday (1 July) Andrew became separated from his friend while walking back to their accommodation and was later reported missing.
Max then reportedly headed to a print shop on the island to make posters asking for help from locals and other tourists to help with the search for his lost mate.
Greek police commenced their search on Sunday morning (2 July) after allegedly claiming they were holding off to wait for the light to improve.
Andrew's body was then found at around 9.20am at the bottom of a cliff with signs he had slipped and sustained an injury to the head.
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It was during this time that Max, after being told about the death of his friend, collapsed near the island's port. He was known to have had a history of heart problems, though the cause of death is still unclear.
The pair are said to have died within hours of each other.
Despite efforts from local medics, Max was later pronounced dead in hospital.
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One police officer told press: "Max collapsed when he heard what had happened. Everyone is saying what is true, that the incident is like an ancient Greek tragedy.
"The whole island is in shock."
Tim Kehlleher, senior principal of St Michael’s College in Dublin, has since issued a statement on the tragedy.
He stated: "This is such a tragedy. We are all traumatised. These two young men would have made their mark on the world.
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"They were brilliant young men; great rugby players and Andrew was also a skilled footballer who played for Belmont.
"We should have been celebrating their successes but instead their parents are on a ferry with two boxes containing their sons' bodies."
The principal went on to reveal just how 'traumatised' and 'deeply devastated' the other teenagers on the island are with many now wanting to return home.
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"It is a tight-knit community. When something like this happens there is a lot of hysteria and a lot of fear and parents are ringing and everyone is traumatised especially the boys who were with Andrew and Max. They are traumatised," he explained.
"They just want to come home and will be all home in the next 48 hours."
Brigadier Thanos Loukas said: "Wall was found very close to the place where he was staying.
"We have since heard he had a history of heart problems but the answers lie in the autopsies. The cause of death in both cases will become clearer once they are carried out."
According to Greek City Times, the bodies of both teenagers have been transferred to the port city of Piraeus for autopsies to determine the 'exact causes' of their deaths.
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