MALLOW UNIT FIND CORK MAN’S BODY IN SEA
MALLOW Search and Rescue has received lavish praise after playing a crucial role in the search for 52-year-old Cork man John Cunningham, whose body was found and recovered from the sea in west Kerry last Thursday.
Mr Cunningham – a resident of Com Dhíneol, west Kerry, but originally from Blarney – was reported missing on Monday, June 29, having not been seen since the previous Saturday. An extensive search operation co-ordinated by Valentia Coastguard got underway on Tuesday morning, paying particular attention to an inlet at Dún Mór head. Mr Cunningham kept lobster pots at the location, and locals feared he may have fallen into or been swept into the sea while trying to haul these pots.
The search operation continued on sea and on land, with Shannon- and Waterford-based Rescue Helicopters 115 and 117; Valentia RNLI; Dingle Coast and Cliff; a drone team from Doolin, County Clare; Gardaí; individual organisations and many locals, friends and siblings of Mr Cunningham’s assisting over the three days.
On Thursday, Mallow Search and Rescue located Mr Cunningham’s body not far from where he kept his pots, Chairperson John Woulfe explained to The Corkman.
“We contacted the Gardaí immediately once we located him, and they gave us the go-ahead to recover him,” Mr Woulfe said. “We took him to Ventry then, where we were met by the Gardaí and the local coastguard unit.”
The team had sent seven members in total, as well as two boats and specialised sonar equipment. As Mr Cunningham’s family made arrangements for his Funeral – which took place in Dún Chaoin, County Kerry last Saturday, before his burial in the nearby cemetery – they instructed that donations, if desired, be made to Irish Coast and Cliff Rescue or Mallow Search and Rescue.
Mallow Search and Rescue is a voluntary service which operates without state-funding, Mr Woulfe said. It has been nominated as one of Permanent TSB’s community partners for 2020 and will therefore benefit from numerous charitable events over the coming year, while one can also donate to the cause by visiting a Permanent TSB branch.