After an eight-day search, tragically, the body of missing teen Elisha Gault was found in the river Suir yesterday evening.
The remains of the 14-year-old were discovered just 8km from where she was last seen alive in Carrick-on-Suir on St Patrick's Day.
The entire community is reeling from this devastating news and in a heartbreaking post on social media, Elisha's mum Grainne has paid tribute to her beautiful daughter and thanked the public for their efforts in helping to locate her daughter.
"Our baby girl has been recovered, thank you all for your efforts in bringing her home to us, so we can now lay her to rest," she wrote on Facebook.
Family, friends and members of the community and general public have been leaving touching messages of support and condolence following the devastating news.
The shocking news comes just hours after her Elisha's mum made an emotional plea on social media for her daughter to come home.
At around midnight last night after a lengthy search, Gardaí confirmed the remains were that of Elisha and they had been brought by helicopter to University Hospital Waterford.
"Gardai would like to thank all the volunteers and search agencies in the search for Elisha and also to the media in their coverage of the appeals for assistance."
They also confirmed to Independent.ie that they are treating the teen's death as a "personal tragedy" and not as suspicious.
The 14-year-old was last seen at about 10.15pm on St Patrick’s night on Dillon Bridge in Carrick-on-Suir, heading towards the Carrickbeg area on the Co Waterford side of the town.
Family and friends made numerous appeals over the last week for information on her whereabouts, while appeals were made directly to Elisha to contact her family or gardaí.
Our deepest and most heartfelt sympathies go to Elisha's family, her mum and dad and sisters, wider family and friends during the most tragic of times.
