Teen died after looking for friend who fell to death on Greek island

Distraught Irish teen died after spending a day looking for his friend who had stumbled to his death on Greek party island

• Max Wall died after looking for his missing friend, Andrew O’Donnell, on Ios
• Police found 18-year-old Andrew’s body at the bottom of a cliff, having fallen

Tragic Max Wall collapsed and died only hours after he had spent a day distraught and looking for his friend who had stumbled to his death, MailOnline can reveal.

Max, 18, was so worried about his close pal Andrew O’Donnell, he went to a print shop on Ios and made posters appealing for help in finding him.

He then distributed them to locals on the Greek holiday island and placed them around the area, appealing for people to look out for his fellow rugby playing friend.

It was only after Andrew’s body had been discovered at the foot of a cliff, that Max decided to head home back to Dublin to be comforted by his family and others who knew Andrew.

He headed for the port on Sunday and had his rucksack and phone with him when he collapsed and died while waiting for the ferry.

Friends said he had been ‘devastated’ by Andrew’s death and decided the ‘party was over’ and packed his bags.

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

MailOnline can also reveal that police did not begin searching for Andrew until Sunday morning, around 24 hours after he disappeared.

READ MORE: ‘I’ve lost my darling boy’: Father of Irish schoolboy who fell to his death on Greek island lays bare his grief as he flies out to Ios with parents of teenager’s friend who also died in double tragedy 

The senior principal of St Michael’s College in Dublin Mr Tim Kelleher said local cops decided to begin the hunt on Sunday morning when the light was better.

They were able to locate Andrew from his cell phone signal and discovered his body at the bottom of a cliff.

‘He had fallen from an unprotected area.

‘If he had been a metre or two either side as he walked, he might not have fallen as there was a ridge along the route’ said Mr Kelleher.

‘This is such a tragedy. We are all traumatised. These two young men would have made their mark on the world.

‘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.’

He said the deaths were unconnected and did not believe their drinks may have been spiked, as has been reported.

Irish detectives have flown to Ios to help local police with their investigations.

Mr Kelleher said Max had undergone heart surgery a few years ago.

He confirmed Andrew had been in clubs drinking before he left his friends early to return to their accommodation.

He was reported missing on Saturday morning and is believed to have plunged to his death in the early hours of Saturday.

When local police became involved they said it was normal to wait 24 hours before searching and on Saturday evening it was too dark to begin the hunt.

Tim Kelleher spoke following the tragic deaths of two 18-year-old students from St Michael’s

Tributes paid to classmates Andrew O’Donnell and Max Wall after deaths on Greek island

The rest of the St Michael’s party are returning to Dublin tonight and tomorrow when two memorial services will be held for the dead young men.

Mr Kelleher added: ‘The two were very popular and around a thousand yellow roses were put onto the coffins as they were placed on the ferry with their families.

‘The students stayed on the port at Ios until the boat was out of sight. There is a lot of love and grief.’

Source: Read Full Article