Latvian National Dies Following Kilkee Dinghy Accident

News - Local

Monday, 07 November 2011 14:08

Written by Pat Flynn

A man has died after he was thrown overboard from a small dinghy while fishing off Co Clare on Saturday.

The man in his 51-year-old, originally from Latvia but living in Kilrush, was tossed into the sea from his 6-foot dinghy close to Donegal Point about 6 kilometres north of Kilkee.

The alarm was raised at around 2 o'clock when a man on the shore reported seeing the fisherman in difficulty in the water. The casualty was originally seen fishing but then was observed in the water holding on to the dinghy.

The Irish Coast Guard's Marine Rescue Coordination Centre at Valentia Island in Kerry mounted a major operation to recover the man and issued a radio message to any boats in the area to proceed to the scene.

In the meantime, Kilkee Marine Rescue Service (KMRS) was alerted and sent a boat to the area while members of Kilkee Coast Guard travelled to the area by road.

The Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard (ICG), which was nearby at the time, was also requested to assist and arrived at the scene within minutes.

The casualty was quickly located and recovered from the water by KMRS volunteers however it is understood that he was unconscious by then. It wasn't immediately clear whether there were any other persons in the water but it was later established that the man was alone.

As the rescue boat raced back to Kilkee, it was decided that the casualty should be airlifted directly from the craft immediately. The man was taken on board the chopper and flown to the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick for treatment.

Despite a continuos efforts by rescuers and paramedics to resuscitate him, he died a short time later.

Kilkee Marine Rescue Service spokesman Mr Manuel DiLucia confirmed: "The casualty appears to have been thrown from the dinghy after he was caught in the surf. The rescue boat crew located the man beneath the cliffs near Donegal Point. The casualty was in an unconscious state at the time and was given oxygen while the crew carried out CPR. He was airlifted directly from the boat and taken to the hospital in Limerick."

It is also believed he had been in the water for over 30 minutes and was severely hypothermic, according to rescuers. It is also believed, according to local sources, that the victim was not wearing a flotation device.

According to one local man: "You'd often see him heading out of Kilkee Bay without a lifejacket. I always thought the dinghy was a bit small and unsafe for the conditions out beyond the head."

A garda stokesman added that the Coroner's office in Clare has also been informed.