TRIBUTES HAVE BEEN paid to an Irish hiker who died while hiking in Sardinia, Italy last Friday.

A major search operation in Sardinia was stood down on Sunday, 8 September last after the body of an Irish mountain climber who has been missing since Friday afternoon has been discovered.

He has been named locally as John Bergin (39) from Claude Road, Whitworth Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9 and formerly of Kilkenny City. John worked as a librarian with Fingal County Council in both Balbriggan and Malahide libraries. He had recently completed a masters in Librarianship and has also worked for the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA).

Paying tribute one colleague wrote: ‘’John was the nicest and most obliging person. I got to know him through our Masters course in library studies and he was so passionate about his job. The Irish library world lost a good colleague and friend’’.

The search operation for John had been underway since the alarm was raised on the afternoon of Friday, 6 September after he failed to return from a hike on the third stage of the Cammino Minerario di Santa Barbara, between Masua and Cala Domestica.

It is reported that he was walking along the path with his brothers. At a certain point they decided to split up and all traces of him were lost.

The search continued all night, without success, and continued on Sunday near the pine forest of Masua with 15 technicians from the Alpine and Speleological Rescue of the stations of Iglesias, Cagliari, Medio Campidano and Ogliastra, assisted by the Mobile Coordination Centre and an Air Force helicopter that took off from Decimomannu.

The search team retraced the path starting from the last known position transmitted by the man, also in action a drone with a thermal camera and the Fire Department personnel who scoured the area overnight.

Italian national broadcaster RAI and other Italian media outlets reported that the man’s body was found on the side of the Canale de Sa Rocca Niedda by a search dog.

Local newspaper L’Union Sarda has reported that a helicopter was used to recover the body which was in a remote location.

John is survived by his brothers Paschal, Michael, Stephen, David and sister Clare. In keeping with John’s wishes, he will be cremated, and a private cremation service will be held in Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy on Friday, 13 September. 

A special mass will be offered for the repose of his soul at St Canice’s church in Kilkenny on 17 September.