Search for missing Mayo man continues

CLUB STAR David Gavin is pictured clearing his lines for Breaffy against Charlestown in the 2013 Treanlaur Catering Mayo Senior Football Championship Semi-Final in Elverys MacHale Park. Pic: Michael Donnelly

Edwin McGreal

The search for a well-known Breaffy footballer, missing in Canada since last Friday, is continuing.
David Gavin got into difficulty in a lake in the province of British Colombia at approximately 3pm on Friday afternoon. Despite searches over the last four days, he still has not been located.
Mr Gavin’s parents, his sister, his girlfriend and members of both families are at the scene, as are friends of his from home also based in Canada and football teammates based in Vancouver.  
Mr Gavin (25) from Springfield, Castlebar, emigrated to Canada last February with his girlfriend. He was en route to Calgary, Alberta, with eight of his football teammates from Vancouver at the time of the incident.
Four of them stopped en route to go swimming. The Mayo News understands Mr Gavin and three others were jumping from a bridge into the water at Kinbasket Lake, a location close to the border with Alberta province in the south east of British Colombia.
Mr Gavin, a strong swimmer, and a lifeguard in his younger years, went first and, after resurfacing and signaling all was okay, he went to swim to the shore when he got into sudden difficulty seconds later and went under.
Despite frantic efforts at the time and since, he is still missing and feared drowned.
Shore and water surface searches took place on Friday and Saturday, but staffing issues are understood to have prevented a dive team from getting to the location until Sunday.
Sonar scanning equipment was deployed on Sunday and again yesterday. The search was ongoing at the time of going to print. The region is seven hours behind Irish time. Visibility in the water is said to be poor and the dive team are scanning in an attempt to locate any ‘areas of interest’ before commencing any dives.
Kinbasket Lake is a long, narrow stretch of water over 200 kilometres in length. The nearest town is Golden, some half an hour’s drive away. Mr Gavin’s friends and teammates have been camping at the lake since Friday.
Mr Gavin played football with Breaffy up until the end of last year. A talented defender, he was corner-back on the Mayo Minor team that reached the 2009 All-Ireland Minor Football Final, where they lost to Armagh. He also represented Mayo at Under 21 level in 2012.
He has been twice a Mayo News Club Stars nominee after staring for Breaffy en route to two county senior finals, in 2013 and 2015. He was also a noted runner in his younger years.
He was a very popular member of the Breaffy team and was said to have been really enjoying life in Vancouver, where he and his girlfriend were working and living.  Breaffy GAA Club members are rallying around the Gavin family at home while members of the ISSC club in Vancouver are providing whatever support they can at the scene and in Vancouver.
In a statement released last night, Breaffy GAA Club said: “We are heartbroken to report that our good friend David Gavin is reported missing in Canada following a swimming incident. We stand with David’s family, his girlfriend and his many worried friends and pray that David will be found soon and back in the safe arms of those who love him so much.
“You are all welcome to join us for a special Mass of support at Breaffy GAA Clubhouse on Wednesday, July 5, at 9.30pm.”