Three dead in boating tragedy
Victims from Eastern Europe died after their dinghy overturned
THE bodies of three men were recovered by emergency services at a harbour near Cahirciveen, Co. Kerry last night.
The men, believed to have been Eastern European, had set out on a fishing expedition early yesterday morning.
However, a passer-by spotted the bow of the men’s boat jutting out of the water at Coonanna Harbour at 6pm.
THREE men have drowned while on a fishing trip in Kerry.
The three, originally from Eastern Europe, drowned after leaving Coonanna harbour, near Cahirciveen, Co. Kerry, at about 8.30am yesterday.
The three, one man in his 50s and two men in their 30s, were travelling in a fiberglass dinghy for a day’s fishing when it overturned.
A person walking near the harbour at about 6pm spotted the bow of the boat jutting out of the water and called the Coast Guard.
A helicopter recovered two of the bodies near the boat, as well as a third body which was located closer to the harbour.
Gardaí and the Coast Guard were last night investigating how the tragedy happened.
The men had fished several times before from the harbour, which can experience swells of up to three feet at this time of year.
The Coast Guard helicopter, Shannon Rescue 115 along with Valentia lifeboat, and Coast Guard volunteers from Valentia and Iveragh rushed to the scene after the Emergency: A passer-by raised the alarm at around 6pm alarm was raised. The Shannon wearing heavy clothing. Post helicopter crew pulled the first mortems on all three men will take man from the water close to place later today. Coonanna pier. The results of any toxicology
It then recovered the bodies of reports are not likely to be known the two other men several hundred until later this week. metres from the harbour. Last night, local councillor
The first body was transferred to Michael Cahill told the Irish Daily an ambulance crew on Coonanna Mail: ‘This is a very sad tragedy. pier and then on to University ‘There is a real sense of gloom in Hospital Kerry in Tralee. The the area as news of this is only other two men were taken by starting to break locally. helicopter to the same hospital. ‘That three lives have been lost
Because temperatures were and three sets of families are now quite low offshore yesterday, all grieving their loved ones is exceptionally three men were said to have been sad and our thoughts and prayers go out to their loved ones.’
He added: ‘I live by the sea myself and while areas can appear very calm, there can be sudden swells and things can get very choppy out of the blue.
‘One really does need to respect the water at all times.’
Coonanna Harbour has had its share of tragedies. In 1997, an elderly couple from nearby Cahirciveen, drowned while on a fishing trip.
Local man Paddy O’Donoghue, and wife, Kay were experienced fishermen and often sold their catch of mackerel locally.
Despite the fine, clear weather conditions at the time, they got into difficulties because their heavily laden nets caused their boat to capsize.
Although they were strong swimmers, they couldn’t make it into the shoreline and drowned.
Coonanna is a picturesque harbour about a five-minute drive north of Caherciveen. A boating trip almost directly north brings sailors to Dingle and the Blasket Islands lie to Coonanna’s northwest.
According to local Fianna Fáil councillor Norma Moriarty, conditions on the water were rough yesterday morning and the wind ‘catches that harbour in a particular way’.
Ms Moriarty said that the incident was ‘horrendously sad’ and a ‘terrible tragedy’.
‘It is just awful,’ she said. ‘Coonanna harbour is a particularly beautiful part of south Kerry and people enjoy it for fishing and bathing. It is awful to think that something like this has happened to three families [who] are going to be landed with a terrible tragedy tonight.’
Ms Moriarty added that there might be some small consolation as the bodies of the three men had been recovered quickly.
Last night, Caherciveen parish priest, Fr Larry Kelly said: ‘This is a very big and shocking tragedy.
‘It is the biggest we have had in recent years.
‘I understand it involved three Eastern European gentlemen.
‘This is such a shame because the area gets a lot of visitors from Eastern Europe who fish in the area and they are great people.’
He added: ‘Prayers will be said for them in Mass today.’
‘It can get choppy out of the blue’