THE FAMILY of a university student who drowned while on a night out in Cork city paid tribute yesterday to all those who helped in the search as they announced plans to donate a rescue boat to help in the search for others lost in rivers.
The family of 19-year-old Brían Ó Tuama from Toonlane, Ballymakeera, Co Cork, revealed that they have launched a fundraising campaign to buy a rigid inflatable boat (Rib) for the Mallow Search and Rescue Team who had helped in the search. “We have plans to help one of the groups that helped us – the Mallow Search and Rescue – and we’re raising money to provide a Rib for them; some good has come out of what was a tragic accident,” said Mr Ó Tuama’s brother, Colmán.
The family was speaking following an inquest which heard how Mr Ó Tuama, a second-year arts student at University College Cork, went missing after socialising with friends at Gorby’s nightclub in the city centre in the early hours of November 12th last.
Tracey Murphy said she knew Mr Ó Tuama from being in the same Irish class at UCC, and he had accompanied her and some friends from Gorby’s towards McDonald’s in Daunt Square at about 1.30am, but he didn’t come into the fast food restaurant.
Sgt Terry Murphy said port officials contacted him on November 13th to say they had CCTV footage of somebody entering the North Custom House Quay at 1.53am, and when he showed it to the Ó Tuama family, they identified Brían. On November 23rd, Mr Ó Tuama’s body was found at Kennedy Quay.
Cork city coroner Dr Myra Cullinane said that while everything pointed to Mr Ó Tuama’s death having been a tragic accident, there were gaps in the evidence, and she returned an open verdict before extending her sympathies to his family.