THEY HAD NO CHANCE
Witness tells of scene where US tourists died in ravine plunge
THIS is the wreckage of the pony and trap that plunged into a ravine, killing two American tourists.
Normand Larose, 62, and 64-year-old Joy Few died instantly when their jaunting car went off the road at the Gap of Dunloe in Co Kerry on Monday.
Shocked Stewart Ainsley, who was driving behind them, said: “We saw it go off the edge. It was so, so terrible. “Their bodies were still and it was clear they were dead on impact.”
A MAN who tried to save the couple killed in a freak pony and cart accident has told of his horror when he realised they were dead.
Stewart Ainsley saw American couple Normand Larose, 62, and Joy Few, 64, plunge into a ravine after their horse panicked.
He was driving behind them with his brother Rod as the couple rode a jaunting car through the Gap of Dunloe in Co Kerry, a popular beauty spot.
Stewart, 37, from Manchester, said: “We saw it go off the edge. It was so, so terrible. I climbed down and helped lift the cart off the man and woman.
“The horse was pulling on the cart that was on top of them, so we had to get the horse away from it and then lift the trap off.
“When we managed to lift it, there was a piece of wood on the man’s face from the trap. Their bodies were still and it was clear they were dead on impact. They hit the rocks at some speed.
“It took us about 10 minutes to get the trap off, but it took about 45 minutes for help to come.
“You could see they were dead so we just kept them covered up.”
SHOCKED
The couple, from Phoenix in Arizona, were on holiday in Ireland with Ms Few’s daughter, son-in-law and their grandchildren.
Mr Larose was originally from Quebec in Canada.
His niece Maude told Independent. ie yesterday: “My uncle was a very happy person who loved life very much. He always took care of the people he loved, the whole family is shocked by this tragedy.
“I know he would want us to remember him with his smile and his jokes.”
Stewart was on holiday in Kerry with his partner Kelly Greene, brother Rod and his brother’s partner.
They tried to comfort the dead couple’s family, who were in another horse and cart.
Stewart said: “They didn’t actually see what had happened because they were in front. They eventually realised and came back.
“We tried to comfort them the best we could because there was nothing anyone could do.”
Gda Supt Flor Murphy said Garda liaison officers are helping the family, who are still in Ireland.
He told Radio Kerry: “We are giving them every assistance with the formalities here and in relation to repatriating the remains.
“We are helping them deal with the airlines, undertakers and the embassy.
“It’s a very sad tragedy, we don’t know why the horse and car went off the road at that point, but all aspects will be looked at to determine that.”