Third tragedy in three years

August 1992

THE third drowning tragedy in just three years at a well-known Wicklow beauty spot brought sorrow to the area once more this week.

Four young lives were lost in the boating accident which occurred on Blessington Lake after a bank holiday weekend outing went horribly wrong. The victims, aged between 18 and 21 and all good friends from Santry and Coolock in Dublin, were camping on the shore when they took a lightweight dinghy out on the lake sometime between nightfall on Sunday and early Monday morning. Squally weather had made the conditions dangerous and after a day-long search the boat was spotted upturned on the far side of the lake.

The first two bodies were discovered shortly after 5 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon by the Garda sub-aqua squad, assisted by local civil defence and mountain rescue teams on the shore. The search resumed on Wednesday and shortly after 1 p.m. and another body was recovered.

Baltyboys Youth Hostel, which overlooks the site where the boat was taken from, had the role of communications nerve centre as national media arrived on the shores of the lake to cover the tragedy. The alarm was raised on Monday after it was noticed that the dingy was missing. At first it was feared stolen.

ESB patrols began questioning nearby campers about the missing boat. They also found an abandoned tent about half a mile from the moorings and linked the two disappearances. Fears that an accident had occurred grew once the upturned boat was discovered on the opposite side of the lake.