Girl (12) among three dead in drowning incidents

The Irish Water Safety Association (IWSA) has called for increased vigilance among fishermen and swimmers after three people drowned in separate incidents within 12 hours.

The drownings in Dublin, Wicklow and Donegal, claimed the life of a young man, a 12-year-old girl and an experienced fisherman.

The most recent fatality came early yesterday when Warren Spain (22), Queen Street, Dublin 7, went for a swim with five friends off Portrane quay in north Co Dublin.

The group had been socialising in the area from 7pm on Monday and decided to go for the swim after midnight.

Mr Spain went missing in the water a short time later and his body was later recovered by his friends.

An ambulance was called and attempts were made to resuscitate him, but he was pronounced dead on arrival at Beaumont Hospital at 1am.

In Co Wicklow, Amy Healy (12), from Bray, drowned after going for a swim in the Upper Lake in Glendalough.

The schoolgirl, who was on an outing with a youth group, got into difficulties shortly after entering the water at about 4.15pm.

Her body was recovered at 8.40pm by the Dublin/Wicklow mountain rescue service and gardaí.

The third drowning victim was Charlie Boyle (62), Keadue, Co Donegal, an experienced seafarer who got into difficulties while fishing off the west Donegal coast on Monday night.

Mr Boyle, who was the father of a young Donegal girl who mysteriously disappeared from her Donegal home nearly 30 years ago, had been fishing alone in waters off Owey Island near Kincasslagh.

He was reported missing around 6.40pm on Monday evening and was recovered by a search and rescue team a short time later.

He was airlifted to Letterkenny General Hospital where he died early yesterday.

It was confirmed last night that Mr Boyle was wearing a life-jacket when he was recovered from the water.

He and his wife Ann had been living a nightmare since their twin daughter Mary disappeared without trace from her grandparent's home at Cashelard, Ballyshannon, on March 18th, 1977.

Despite one of the most extensive searches ever undertaken by the Garda and Army no trace of seven-year-old Mary was ever found. Her parents had made numerous appeals over the years to anyone with information to contact the Garda. Local TD and Minister of State for the Marine Pat the Cope Gallagher, who knew the family personally, offered his sympathy last night.

IWSA chief executive John Leech said the three incidents amounted to "the worst spate of drownings this year".

However, he said, it should be seen in the context of a drop in the number of drownings last year to 149 from 153 in 2003, and from a high of 235 in 1983.