The family of missing Irish filmmaker Ross McDonnell has confirmed his death after a body was discovered on Breezy Point Beach in New York last Friday.
Ross McDonnell, 44, was reported missing by his family on November 4 after his bike was discovered at Fort Tilden Beach in Queens. He was last seen leaving his apartment in Brooklyn earlier that day.
His family announced his death on RIP.ie on Wednesday after the NYPD said a body found on Breezy Point Beach in Queens was believed to be that of McDonnell's.
The NYPD said in a statement that the body has "not been positively identified as of yet" but added that photos of McDonnell provided to the police " show a birthmark that matches one that was on the body that was discovered on the beach".
McDonnell is survived by his parents Maureen and Nicky, his sister Louise, and his niece Eva.
In a post on RIP.ie, his family said McDonnell would be "very sadly missed by his loving parents, sister, niece, aunt, uncles, cousins, extended family and his many dear friends, LJ, and also his colleagues in Ireland, U.S.A. and around the world".
The notice added that a memorial service for McDonnell will take place at a later date and said funeral arrangements will also be announced in the future.
A native of Howth in County Dublin, McDonnell had been living in the Clinton Hill area of Brooklyn for a number of years before his disappearance.
McDonnell was a celebrated filmmaker and won an Emmy Award in 2021 for his cinematography in the Showtime series "The Trade". He additionally received an Emmy nomination in 2018 for the feature-length documentary "Elian".
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