Search crew and onlookers stop potential tragedy
DRAMATIC INCIDENT DURING SEARCH FOR MISSING BERNARD
A potential tragedy was averted in Enniscorthy last week when a woman, who apparently intended jumping into the river Slaney, was prevented from doing so by members of the public and people involved in searching the river for a man missing for over a week.
The incident occurred on Thursday when the woman appeared to be intent on entering the water near the new bridge but was prevented from doing so after a number of people came to her aid.
The woman’s predicament was brought to the attention of rescue personnel who were in the vicinity and a number of other people who were in the area also came to the women’s assistance and prevented her from entering the water.
Meanwhile the search for Bernard Kirwan, who has been missing since the early hours of Sunday, February 16, is ongoing.
A potential tragedy was averted in Enniscorthy last week when a woman, who apparently intended jumping into the river Slaney, was prevented from doing so by members of the public and people involved in searching the river for a man missing for over a week.
Rescue crews were on the river as part of the search for local missing man, Bernard ‘Bunny’ Kirwan, who has been missing since the early hours of Sunday, February 16, when the incident occurred on Thursday.
The woman appeared to be intent on entering the water near the new bridge but was prevented from doing after a number of people came to her aid.
The woman’s predicament was brought to the attention of rescue personnel who were in the vicinity and a number of other people who were in the area also came to the women’s assistance and prevented her from entering the water.
Meanwhile the search for Mr Kirwan is ongoing and over the weekend members of the volunteer Irish Underwater Search & Rescue Unit assisted members of Slaney Search & Rescue (SSR) who have been carrying out extensive searches of the river Slaney since Mr Kirwan went missing.
The coast guard helicopter along with the members of the garda sub-aqua unit have also helped with the search operation throughout the last week.
In addition to the river searches have also been conducted along the river bank.
Speaking to this newspaper Shane O’Connor, from SSR, said: ‘We had a second side scan sonar on site over the weekend but unfortunately we had no result.’
The work of the search teams involved has been hampered because of the excessive flow in the river as a result of recent bad weather and visibility in the water is also very poor.
‘ The current is flowing faster beneath the surface as it is above,’ said Mr O’Connor.
‘We have five boats on the water over the weekend and during the week we have had two or three boats on the water each day,’ he added.
In addition to using their side scan sonar the SSR divers have also been in the water carrying out searches, however, conditions throughout the week have been precarious and made the search difficult and dangerous.
The crews have searched the river as far as Killurin to-date and Mr O’Connor said the SSR crew will continue with their search.
He also praised local businesses and individual people who have assisted the crews on the water over the past week by donating food and also fuel vouchers for their boats.
‘ They have all been a great support to the crews on the water and everyone involved in the search really does appreciate it,’ said Mr O’Connor.