Three cyclists from Ireland have been hospitalised after being hit by a car near Spain’s Mediterranean coast.
The trio were part of a nine-person group from Cork that had travelled to Alicante for a cycling holiday.
Shortly after arriving on Wednesday, several of the group went for a ride near the southeastern town of Orihuela, during which some of the cyclists were hit by a passing car.
The Spanish civil guard said three Irish nationals had been seriously hurt, while another had suffered light injuries. Those hurt were aged between 56 and 68.
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One of them is Donal “Donie” Goulding, a 59-year-old Senior Chief Petty Officer in the Irish Naval Service, who has been in a coma after suffering severe head injuries.
His wife has flown out to visit him in hospital and other members of his family are also due to visit.
“They went for a short cycle, just to check the bikes were set up correctly before they started on the big miles,” said David O’Leary, a friend and former colleague of Goulding.
“And they were involved in this [collision] and Donie came out of it the worst.”
The man driving the car involved was a 73-year-old Spanish national. Police are investigating. The stretch of road where the incident happened has been the site of frequent traffic collisions, according to local media, and foreign residents and tourists often travel along it.
O’Leary has set up a GoFundMe fundraiser to help his friend.
“[Goulding’s] family are struggling to come to terms with what is going on and it was important to get a ‘GoFundMe’ in the background that can support what they need over the coming days and weeks,” he said.
Goulding is himself a keen fundraiser, who was involved in organising a charity cycle ride between Mizen and Malin to raise funds for a hospice in Cork.
“Cycling is his thing, he goes from fundraiser to fundraiser but now the shoe’s on the other foot, because normally he’s fundraising for others,” said O’Leary.
