Inquest told of drowning after canoe capsized

A Co Limerick man drowned after his girlfriend stood up to give him a hug, causing the canoe which they were in to capsize, a coroner's inquest was told yesterday.

At the Co Clare coroner's court in Ennis yesterday, coroner Isobel O'Dea recorded a verdict of death by misadventure in the drowning of 26-year-old John Buckley of Ballyculhane, Glin, Co Limerick, on January 22nd.

An excavator driver, Mr Buckley was canoeing with his girlfriend, Lucinda Murphy (24), on Lough Derg on a Sunday afternoon.

They had only one lifejacket between them and it was decided before going into the water that she would wear it.

In her deposition to the inquest, Ms Murphy said: "I stood up to give John a hug and the boat toppled over.

"John and I both fell into the water. The water was very cold. John was not wearing a life-jacket."

Ms Murphy said that the two swam towards the canoe and tried to turn it over, but failed.

Ms Murphy said that she then inflated her lifejacket and took off her shoes.

She said that John saw a boy on the shore and called out to him and the boy went off to get help.

Ms Murphy continued: "I started swimming towards the shore and John told me to keep swimming.

"I swallowed some water and started coughing.

"I called John and asked, 'Are you okay?', and he did not reply. I turned around and I saw John's hands out of the water. I knew that he was in trouble and I swam back to him and he kept pushing my hands away.

She added:

"I was trying to hold his head and he kept going under. I shouted to a man on the shore and he ran off.

"John then sank under the water and I waited for a few minutes and I tried to swim to the shore for help."

Ms Murphy, from Birdhill, Co Tipperary, said that she was rescued by a man called John with the help of a surf-board.

Divers from the Killaloe/Ballina search and rescue unit recovered Mr Buckley's body from the riverbed at 8.55pm that evening.

Pathologist Dr Peter Fawl said the results of a postmortem showed that Mr Buckley died from asphyxiation as a result of drowning.

Ms O'Dea said that the appropriate verdict would be death by misadventure

She said this could occur where there was an unintended action that brings about an unintended outcome.

Ms O'Dea said that she noted that Mr Buckley wasn't wearing a lifejacket and that it was a terrible tragedy for his family and girlfriend.

Last night chief executive of the Irish Water Safety Association, John Leech, said: "Water users must always wear a lifejacket, no matter what the aquatic pursuit.

"It significantly increases the chances for survival because of the excellent rescue services we have.

"Nine times out of 10, wearing a lifejacket will prevent a drowning taking place."