Inquiries continue into death of boy aged three in lift shaft

As investigations continue into the death of a young boy caught in a lift shaft in Galway, the city mayor has visited the child’s mother to convey the community’s sympathies.

Three-yearl-old Solomon Soremekun died from crush injuries after becoming trapped in a lift shaft in the Hynes office building on St Augustine Street on Monday afternoon.

He had been with his Nigerian mother, Omolara Akinyede, and three sisters at the Department of Social Protection office on the three-storey building's first floor when he is believed to have wandered out on to the access landing to the lift and stairwell.

Fatal injuries
Emergency services, including two tenders from Galway Fire Brigade and an ambulance, arrived shortly after the alarm was raised, along with a doctor and gardaí. The rescue operation became recovery when it was confirmed that the child, who was at the bottom of the lift shaft, had sustained fatal injuries.

His body was taken from the building an hour later, and a postmortem was due to be conducted yesterday at University Hospital, Galway.

Entrances to the lift on each of three floors were being sealed up last evening, as Health and Safety Authority investigations continued. It is expected the investigations will try to establish if the lift stalled or had a malfunction, although it is understood that it had been operating normally a short time before the incident.

Solomon’s mother had only arrived in Galway’s Doughuisce area from Dublin in late December with her four children, and had been eight years in Ireland, living for a time in Cavan and Sligo.

Her only son, who is survived also by three sisters aged seven, four and two months, was born in Cavan General Hospital.

Condolences
Mayor Padraig Conneely extended condolences on behalf of Galway city to Ms Akinyede when he visited her at a guesthouse yesterday evening where she was being comforted by members of Galway's Nigerian community, and offered assistance by HSE West, the hospital and gardaí.

“She was distraught, totally dazed, and was clutching her phone with a photo of her son on the screen,” said Mr Conneely.

“I told her that this was a terrible tragedy, and that it was on everyone’s lips in Galway today, and she expressed appreciation for all the support being given to her,” he added.

Earlier in the day she was taken to the hospital mortuary.

Cellophaned bunches of dahlias, carnations and lilies had been placed outside the Hynes building yesterday as it remained closed to the public.

Department of Social Protection social welfare recipients were advised that signing on was excused and payments would not be affected.