Inquest hears that Donegal fisherman died by drowning as result of accident

An inquest into the death of Kilcar fisherman James Byrne, 75, found that his death was caused by drowning as a result of a tragic accident. 

Sitting at Donegal Town Courthouse on Wednesday, Coroner Dr Denis McCauley said that Mr Byrne was a seasoned fisherman who followed all the correct safety procedures. Results of a post mortem examination showed that prior to his death, he was in remarkably good health for a man of his age. 

The coroner found that insofar as could be established, Mr Bryne became incapicated as a result of a soft tissue injury. He then drowned after his boat hit rocks and began letting in water, subsequently breaking up. 

Dr McCauley praised local fishermen and the emergency services for their swift actions at the time of the tragedy. 

A deposition made by Mr Byrne’s wife Mary was read into evidence by Sergeant Stephen Lynch.

In her deposition, Mrs Byrne said her husband had a boat called the Mirror of Justice which he kept at a local pier. He fished for squid and mackerel in the bay and around the Sliabh Liag cliffs.

“It was a real hobby his whole life,” said Mrs Byrne in the deposition. 

On August 26, 2020 Mr Byrne left home at around 9.30am to go fishing.

Mrs Byrne tried to ring him at 6.45pm but there was no coverage. This was not unusual, and the inquest heard that her husband would usually ring if he saw a missed call when coverage returned.

Later that evening, her husband’s brother Pat called to say that James was missing, and later again, she got the sad news that his remains had been recovered.

The inquest then heard from a number of local fishermen.

Pat Johnston had seen the Mirror of Justice while fishing that evening.

The boat was coming around a headland which Mr Johnston said needed to be navigated. 

He believed that Mr Byrne had to have been alive and in control of the boat at that stage as it would have been evident if it was not being steered. 

Something Wasn’t Right

Some time later, he noticed the boat close to the shore. Even though it was in keeping with where Mr Byrne fished squid, Mr Johnston felt that something wasn’t right because of how the boat was positioned in relation to the wind at the time. 

His own boat was too large to get close. 

Another fisherman, Adrian Boyle, said he would take a look. He got close and shouted, but got no answer. 

The fishermen tried making radio contact. 

At that point, Mr Johnston called the Coast Guard. 

Local fishermen then gathered to conduct a search along with the coastguard and R118 helicopter.

Acting Officer in Charge with Killybegs Coast Guard Shane McCrudden said in his deposition that a crew had been training in the RIB when the call came through. The crew made their way to the Mirror of Justice. 

The operation was being directed by Malin Head Coast Guard, with Mr McCrudden organising personnel locally. 

He explained that a boat could not safely reach the stricken vessel because of the rocks. A winchman from the Rescue 118 helicopter got close to the boat but couldn’t see anyone on board. The boat started to break up and so the winchman was unable to board. 

It was a short time later that a local fisherman spotted Mr Byrne face down in the water. The remains were recovered and brought by the coast guard to Teelin Pier where they were identified by Francis Byrne, son of the deceased. 

Safety Measures Followe

Mr McCrudden confirmed that Mr Byrne had taken all recommended safety measures, including having a VHF radio.

The coast guard officer explained that VHF channels were monitored on a 24-hour basis and so a Mayday signal would be picked up immediately. 

However, Mr Byrne had not made a call for help.

Pathologist Dr Katrina Dillon gave evidence of conducting a post mortem examination. She said there was only very mild heart disease, which was remarkable for a man of Mr Byrne’s age. 

She said that most of his injuries were consistent with him having been among the rocks after his death. There was however a soft tissue injury in the thigh which was consistent with having occurred before death and may have been a factor in Mr Byrne becoming incapicated. 

Dr Dillon confirmed that there was no evidence of heart attack, stroke or any other condition that would explain his incapacitation. 

Having heard all the evidence, Dr McCauley concluded that Mr Byrne had been below deck in the boat, most likely already incapacitated when the boat struck rocks. His remains most likely entered the water when the boat started to break up. 

The coroner therefore returned a finding of death by drowning as a result of a tragic accident. 

Dr McCauley thanked everyone involved, praising local fishermen and the Coast Guard for their response which he said in his opinion could not have been better. 

The fishermen, Dr McCauley, Mr McCrudden and Sgt Lynch all expressed their condolences to the family.