Body recovered from sea during 20-day search for Clare student

A man's body has been recovered from the sea in Co. Galway. It was spotted by a member of a search party looking for missing Clare student Michael Bugler.

According to RTÉ, the man's body was taken from the sea at Ardfry Point in Oranmore, Co. Galway. Gardaí have yet to confirm the identity of the body, but said it was removed to Galway University Hospital.

Mr Bugler, 20, had been studying law in at NUIG and was last seen on December 19 after a night out at The Quays Bar in Galway.

Search for 20 yr old Michael Bugler called off after body recovered from sea at Ardfry point #rtenews pic.twitter.com/lDzMWzD33R

— Joe Mag Raollaigh (@joemagraollaigh) January 7, 2016

A final sighting of him on CCTV showed him walking near the Claddagh Church, presumbably heading toward his home at Fairhill Rd.

Taking to Facebook on New Year's Eve, his sister Laura gave an impassioned plea to anyone with information about her little brother's whereabouts.

"We are still on the search for Michael, I never thought I would be entering 2016 with my little brother gone and the fact that we haven’t yet found him makes it even harder to get through milestones like tonight," she wrote.

"As Michael’s big sister it’s always felt like my job to mind, protect and look after my little man and if anyone can help me finish off that job and spare a few hours in trying to bring him home tomorrow, it’d mean the world to myself and my family."

The Irish Coast Guard, RNLI lifeboat crews and Civil Defence have all participated in the search for Michael since the alarm was first raised.