Tributes have been paid to popular Lifford man Joe Ruby Colhoun who passed away in tragic circumstances at the weekend.
Ruby spent months looking for his missing son David after he went missing along the River Foyle in 2011.
Tragically Ruby was taken from the same stretch of river last week and sadly passed away on Saturday last.
Devoted dad Ruby had spent months searching for his son along with rescue teams from both sides of the border.
David’s remains were eventually located by a man doing digger work in February, 2012, giving the Colhoun family some shred of comfort.
At the time Ruby had vowed to find his missing son so he could bury him alongside his mother and Joe’s late wife who had died of a brain tumour the previous year.
When David’s remains were found, Joe said his search was over.
The late David Colhoun.
He said “This is all I have been looking for all these months. Our lives have been hell.
“Now we can put David’s soul to rest once and for all. I could not have rested or stopped searching until I found him.
“I no longer have to go down to that river everyday looking and knowing he is in there.
“He is safe again now. He will be beside his mother forever and I can take some peace in that for the rest of my own days.”
Tragically Joe was found in the River Foyle last Friday and passed away the following day.
Tributes have been paid to the late Mr Colhoun who was a well-known fisherman and community activist.
Among the many who paid tribute to the popular Lifford man were his friends at the Lifford Greyhound Track.
May he rest in peace.
