THE CO Galway aid worker who died in Ghana at the weekend was drowned by a rogue wave while walking along the beach with colleagues.
The family of Natalie Higgins (24) from Abbeyknockmoy, Co Galway, was told of the full circumstances of her death yesterday. Her parents had initially been told that she had got into difficulties while swimming.
Ms Higgins had only been in Ghana for about 10 days, having travelled there late last month with a British charity, Projects Abroad. It has links with medical and educational projects in Accra, Cape Coast and Kumasi, about 250 km inland.
Ms Higgins was stationed in an orphanage some five kilometres from the centre of Kumasi, but had travelled to the Atlantic coast for a monthly meeting of the charity's volunteers.
She had spoken to her mother Marion and brother, Keith, by telephone a short time before her death.
A close friend of the family confirmed yesterday that she had been walking along a beach with two fellow volunteers, and the group had paddled into the sea to wash sand off their toes.
All three were then hit by a rogue wave and washed out to sea. Two of the three were rescued, and Ms Higgins's body was recovered a short time later.
Her parents, Marion and Noel Higgins, have been advised not to travel to Ghana as this might delay the return of her body to Ireland. The family, including her brothers Keith and Craig, have been in touch with the Department of Foreign Affairs and with the Irish Embassy in Nigeria, which is accredited to Ghana. A department spokesman said yesterday that the Irish honorary consul in Ghana was also working with the Ghanaian authorities.
It is understood that Ms Higgins's body has been taken to the Ghanaian capital, Accra, and the family hopes repatriation will take place by the end of this week.
Ms Higgins had worked in film production in London, and undertook a childcare course at home. She had worked with children with special needs, and had raised money locally in recent months to finance her trip to Ghana. Warm tributes were paid to her by friends on her Bebo internet site over the weekend.
Abbeyknockmoy parish priest Fr Joe O'Brien said that she was well known and liked in her community, and people "just don't know what to say". Her grandfather, Mick Higgins, died less than six months ago.