Sligo teenager dies and Kerry man missing after kayaking incident in Ecuador



A Co Sligo man has died and another Irish man is still missing following a kayaking accident in Ecuador.

19-year-old Alex McGourty from Calry passed away on Saturday while on a group kayaking trip.

26-year-old David Higgins, originally from Kerry, had been kayaking with Mr McGourty and a group of four others but is reported missing.

It’s understood that the five kayakers got into difficulty following a flash flood in the River Abanico, in the Morona Santiago province.

One of the kayakers was found alive by rescue teams yesterday, while David Higgins from Co Kerry is one of the three reported missing.

Alex McGourty’s body was discovered yesterday.

The 19-year-old was a member of Sligo Kayak Club and had travelled around the globe on kayaking trips after qualifying for the World Class Kayak Academy in 2016.

The three other missing kayakers are understood to be from England and Ecuador,

Local rescue teams, including police and firefighters have joined in the search for the missing people.

Local reports suggested heavy rain had increased the flow of rivers in recent days.



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