'˜We're determined to bring him home'

The family has also appealed for more volunteers to join them in the daily shore searches along the River Foyle.

It is now almost six weeks since Michael was reported missing on Sunday, January 21 and his siblings, Laura, Samuel and Danielle, and the wider McGinley and Coyle families, assisted by search and rescue experts and volunteers, have been tirelessly searching for him ever since.

It was confirmed shortly after he went missing that the 27-years-old Gobnascale man had entered the River Foyle.

His cousin Michelle McGinley said yesterday that the family remained resolute in their determination to bring Michael home.

“The recent weather has been freezing cold, but we are never going to give up.

“The searches were still going on yesterday during the snow blizzards and we will continue our efforts to find him.

“It’s been almost six weeks and people are tired, exhausted, there’s been ‘flu and colds, but we are determined to get him and bring him home, sick or not.

“We know the weather is against us but what if he surfaces and nobody is there? We don’t know when he is going to come up.

“We do have people coming out to join us but we would love more people to help,” she said.

Michelle said the family won’t be able to grieve properly for Michael until they get him back and are able to give him a proper burial.

She also praised those taking part in the search for their tireless efforts.

Anyone who can help in the search or in any other way is asked to make contact via the ‘Help bring Michael Home’ Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Help-bring-Michael-home-464327280636176/