A High Court in Belfast has ruled that it is satisfied that a Tyrone doctor, who went missing three years ago, had died.
The judge used new legislation for the first time in Northern Ireland to declare that he was satisfied that Dr Deirdre O'Flaherty drowned after going into the sea in Co Donegal.
The Presumption of Death Act 2009 was introduced to clarify the law and speed up the process by which a missing person may be declared dead.
Before that a family of a missing person had to wait seven years before obtaining a declaration of death.
Dr O'Flaherty, also known by her maiden name of Deirde Donnelly, disappeared on 11 January 2009 while staying at a holiday home with her husband and their children.
Her car was found at Kinnego Beach.
She was known to have suffered from depression, the High Court in Belfast was told.
Despite extensive searches no body was found, and a review of the case on RTE's Crime Call failed to yield a breakthrough.
Since her disappearance her credit cards and bank accounts have remained untouched.
The judge's ruling was delivered last month but was only published today.
