THE BODY OF a young Mayo man has been recovered from a river in Laos following a tragic accident over the weekend.

Gary Price from Swinford went missing in water on Saturday, presumed drowned after failed rescue attempts. His body has since been recovered.

The 23-year-old was crossing a swollen river in Laos at the time of the incident.

The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that it is providing consular assistance to the man’s family. An official from the Irish embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam has also travelled to the area where the incident took place.

Described as a great footballer – both soccer and Gaelic – Gary is well-known in the small town of Swinford and it is understood he was making his way back to Ireland after travelling across Australia for the past year.

Swinford Soccer Club extended its condolences to the Price family on the tragic death of their beloved son.

The local GAA club has since revealed that Gary had planned to travel to America to play football for the Boston Mayo club with a number of his team mates.

“Gary won every honour Irish youths soccer had to offer. We in the GAA club are honoured to have been a part of his glittering underage Gaelic career,” the club’s chairman Michael Murtagh said in a statement.

He was a natural talent, a born leader and a great friend. He was a pleasure to deal with on every level.

“Everyone in the club and town are in shock at the untimely death of Gary. Our thoughts are with his family and his many friends at this terrible time. He will be sadly missed, but not forgotten.”