Death of popular Sligo hospital staff member

THE funeral took place on Friday of 62- year- old Paddy McCarrick following a kayaking accident off the West Sligo coast.

Mr McCarrick of Garavogue Villas, passed away at Sligo University Hospital on Monday of last week having been airlifted there by the Rescue 118 helicopter.

He is survived by his wife, Phil and children, Lisa and Thomas. Removal took place from his home on Friday morning to Saint Anne’s Church for Mass of Christian Burial at 11am. Burial to follow in Sligo Cemetery.

Mr McCarrick was in a group of up to 10 kayakers who got into difficulties off Aughris Head.

He was in a two- person kayak and Malin Head Coastguard received a call from a passerby around 8pm. Other witnesses also made 999 calls.

When the air ambulance arrived at the scene, the casualty had been lifted on to rocks and CPR was administered. Other kayakers were escorted safely back to land by RNLI and the coastguard. Mr McCarrick, who worked at Sligo University Hospital and previously ran his own coal business, took up kayaking in recent years and regularly took to Lough Gill which was close to his home at Garavogue. He was a popular and well liked member of the hospital staff and was known to be obliging and helpful.

Mr McCarrick ( above) had also been involved in rowing and played junior soccer for a number of years, mainly with MCR and Bass Rovers. He also regularly played in the various five- a- side and seven- a- side soccer tournaments that were held around the town in the 1980s and were very popular.