Two 18-year-old boys from Ireland reportedly went on a holiday trip to the Greek Island of Ios, and sadly, both died within hours of each other. One of the teens, Andrew O’ Donnell, is suspected to have taken the wrong route home and accidentally walked off a cliff late at night. The other teen, Max Wall, was found unconscious near the island's seaport. Authorities say Wall had a history of heart problems, and witnesses reported he had been very distressed upon learning what had happened to his friend, O'Donnell.
The two teens were part of a group of 69 people on a school graduation trip. Both O’ Donnell and Wall had just finished exams at St. Michael’s College, a Catholic boys' school in Dublin.
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The boys were on a ‘holiday’ excursion trip with a group of friends after passing exams at school.
O’Donnell and Wall had just finished their leaving certificate examinations, known as the Irish equivalent of A-Levels, and went to the Greek island of Ios with a large group from their school to celebrate, per The Telegraph.
O’Donnell’s body was found in a gully by authorities on Sunday morning outside Chora after friends reported him missing Saturday night, the news outlet reported. Just a few hours later, Wall was found unconscious, and those with him said he had become "very distresed" and collapsed when he learned what had happened to O'Donnell.
Tributes started coming for O’Donnell and Wall on Monday, as officials announced that their bodies were going to be transferred so autopsies can be conducted to determine the official causes of death for the teens, according to The Guardian. St. Michael's College officials noted that Wall was a “very bright, constant source of positivity” and that O’Donnell was a “fantastic young man and a great sportsman,” per The Telegraph.
Authorities have theories about what happened to both teenagers.
Media reports from Greece suggest that O’Donnell may have been drinking when he walked back to his room late Saturday night, The Guardian reported. “His body was found among rocks on a pathway on Sunday morning,” a police officer said, and that those from the school were “absolutely traumatized” by what had happened.
“O’Donnell was found on a path between the port and Ios town and it seems he had fallen," shared the directorate's commander officer, Brigadier Thanos Loukas, according to the news outlet. "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.”
Hopefully the autopsies will clarify the cause of both of the young teens' heartbreaking deaths and bring some answers and clarity to their families and friends.
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School officials released statements and called the incidents ‘devastating.'
The principal of St. Michael’s College, Tim Kalleher, said the school community is “heartbroken," per The Guardian. “We have a very tight-knit community and these are two fantastic young men with their lives ahead of them. Bright, sporting, academic men … who were looking forward to this trip for months on end.”
Ireland’s foreign affairs minister, Micheál Martin, made a statement saying it was “devastating and the most traumatic news that any parent could hear," according to The Telegraph.
Simon Harris, minister for higher education in Ireland, released a statement on Twitter. “Devastating news emerging from Greece. Thinking of the families & friends of Andrew and Max and all Leaving Cert students abroad in Greece who were enjoying holidays after exams and are now encountering such shock and pain and grief,” he tweeted.
Some suspect alcohol may have played a role in the loss of the two teenagers' lives.
Readers of the Yahoo! News story pointed out that the Greek island of Ios is a “party island” and that they suspect drugs or alcohol were involved.
“I don't know what Ios is like now, but 25 years ago it was the epicenter of drugs and debauchery for euro traveling youth,” one person commented.
Another person wrote, “The island of Ios is well known for a lot of drug overdoses, you can find just about anything there …”
Others pointed out that a trip abroad in a foreign country with no adult supervision seems irresponsible.
“Were there no adults from the school or parents with them?" someone asked. "They were just on their own in a foreign country? Not very responsible.”
“They probably over indulged, one guy had a bad heart, so if there was excess alcohol and or drugs being consumed, then it could have been a factor," someone else commented. "At that age w/o parental supervision, after a stressful event and exams, they went overboard … sad for the parents and their friends … RIP +.”
