The body of an Irish schoolboy was discovered on a rocky slope just yards from a hospital and a busy main road more than 24 hours after he was reported missing in an area Greek police searched and failed to find him.
Andrew O’Donnell, 18 was found dead in scrub land located just below a popular five-star hotel and overlooking the port of Ios, one of the busiest sites on the popular Greek holiday island – hours before his friend Max was found dead near an alleyway.
Officers initially searched the area on Sunday morning after being informed by Andrew’s friends that he had gone missing after becoming separated from them while they were in Ios port, where there are bars and restaurants. They subsequently returned to the area later that day, discovering Andrew’s body at around 1pm.
He was rushed to Ios Health Centre, the island’s only hospital which is yards away where he was pronounced dead.
An Ios port police official told MailOnline: ‘We started our search 24 hours after Andrew had gone missing, which is standard procedure. We focused on the slopes around the port area but did not find anything but then returned for a second time.
Andrew O’Donnell, 18 was found dead in scrub land (seen left) located just below a popular five-star hotel and overlooking the port of Ios. Just hours later, his friend Max Wall collapsed and was found at the entrance to a narrow alley in the Ios port area (right)
A simple bouquet of flowers lay at the top of the slope where Andrew was found on Sunday
Recent graduates Andrew O’Donnell (left) and his classmate Max Wall (right), both 18 and from the same school, died in separate tragic incidents over the weekend
‘His body was hidden in bushes and was not visible from a path that runs along the top of the slope. There is a luxury hotel there and houses along it, so it’s a very well used path and first time around, it was easy to miss.’
Another port police official who said that he was part of the team that discovered Andrew’s body said: ‘We initially walked the length of the path at the top of the slope and couldn’t see anything. His body was in the undergrowth.
‘The sad thing is that as the police and Andrew’s pals were looking for him, he wasn’t in a remote location and was close to us all, but we didn’t realise this.’
A simple bouquet of flowers lay at the top of the slope where Andrew was found.
His friend Max Wall collapsed and died at the entrance to a narrow alley in the Ios port area at 2pm on Sunday, just an hour after news emerged of Andrew’s death.
It is believed that he died of shock and according to reports, the youngster had a history of heart problems and had spent all day searching for his friend.
Most of the two boys’ friends are believed to have left Ios, many travelling to Athens on Tuesday with their coffins where an autopsy is to take place to establish their exact cause of death.
But hundreds of Irish youngsters have remained in Ios, where like Andrew and Max, they travelled to the island to mark the end of their secondary education.
Many expressed anger at news that Andrew was discovered in a busy area of Ios and only a ten-minute walk from Hora, the island’s capital town which is bustling with bars and nightclubs.
Toby Moriarty, from Dublin said: ‘Obviously it’s shocked us all, but we would like to know why the police took so long to find him? It’s terrible that they had already searched the area where he was eventually found.
‘I think the Greek police should have started looking for him quicker because it was quite obvious that something was wrong.’
Sheila Walsh, 18 said: ‘My heart goes out to the family and given where Andrew was found, I don’t think the Greek police have done a very good job. He was right under their noses, and they didn’t even realise it.
‘It’s a bit of a joke if you ask me and I don’t know why they had to wait 24 hours before they started searching for him?’
Pictured: Flowers are seen at the site of where Andrew O’Donnell was found on Sunday
It is believed that Andrew had been on a night out with pals in Hora before heading to the port area, where he became separated from them.
The parents of both Andrew and Max arrived in Greece on Tuesday to receive the results of post-mortem tests and bring home their sons’ remains.
Medical examiners conducting the tests found no signs of foul play.
Earlier reports suggested that police were preparing to investigate whether their drinks had been spiked, but police spokesperson Konstantina Dimoglidou told MailOnline yesterday that any lines of inquiry would depend on the results of the post-mortem, which suggest no foul play was involved in the boys’ deaths.
Fellow pupils formed a guard of honour as police transported the boys’ bodies from Ios to Athens, ahead of them being flown home to Ireland accompanied by their grieving families.
Andrew’s father Gavin is said to be distraught, a close family friend who asked to remain anonymous told MailOnline.
‘Gavin described Andrew as his ”darling boy” in a message to me.
Andrew was rushed to Ios Health Centre (pictured), the island’s only hospital which is yards away where he was pronounced dead
Pictured: The site where Max Wall was found at around 2pm on Sunday, shortly after his friend Andrew was found dead
‘Gavin is a very giving man as it is his whole family. He is very proud of this college and as an Alma mater.
‘Andrew’s grandfather Joe is a doctor and they are both very proud of Andrew, who was in the prime of his life. This is such a devastating tragedy.
‘There for the grace of God go I. It is such a shock,’ the family friend said.
‘It is just unexplainable. He and Max were so young. We just do not know why this happened. We are all grieving for both families.’
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