A verdict of accidental death was returned yesterday at an inquest into the death of a 15-year-old boy who was fatally injured when the jet-ski he was riding collided with a speedboat near a popular seaside resort.
Patrick Daly from Greencloyne, Youghal, Co Cork, was fatally injured in the collision in Youghal Harbour sometime between 7.30 p.m. and 8.30 p.m. on August 11th and died within an hour as a helicopter was on its way to take him to hospital.
Yesterday the owner and driver of the speedboat, Mr Michael Murray, told how he had gone for a pleasure trip with his friend, Mr Michael Pierce, whom he was towing behind on board an inflatable dinghy shaped like a jet-ski when the accident occurred.
They had travelled to the mouth of the harbour and were travelling back in the direction of Youghal Bridge at three-quarters speed before Mr Murray slowed down to one-third speed of 15 m.p.h. in order to turn back out to sea when he saw a jet-ski coming towards him.
"The jet-ski kept coming and heading for me - I proceeded with my turn and the jet-ski had more than enough room to adjust his direction - he didn't adjust his direction and he kept coming towards me," Mr Murray told Garda Shay Hennessy.
"I remember the jet-ski colliding with the side of the boat at which time I was propelled over the side of the boat.
"The boat went over the top of me during which time both my legs came in contact with the propeller of the engine," he said in his statement to Garda Hennessy.
Witness Gary Ducey - who had collected the jet-ski with Patrick Daly and was on the far shore of Youghal Bay when the accident happened - said he did not see the collision but he heard the bang.
"Patrick had been heading out to the harbour mouth in a straight line," he said.
Fisherman Anthony White told how he had just moored after a day's fishing when he heard a bang and he saw the jet-ski and the speedboat going in circles some 200-300 metres from the quays.
He immediately joined fellow fishermen Mr Denis McCarthy and Mr Mark Lee on their boat.
They raced to the scene where they found Mr Murray shouting for help and that he could not hold on any longer, and they saw Patrick Daly was unconscious.
They picked up Daly first and then got Mr Murray and Mr Pierce who was uninjured.
Witness Mr Pat Flavin said that he was getting into his car on the quay and just saw the impact. The speedboat was turning away from him to its right and the jet-ski was coming from his left when they collided and there was a spray of water.
The impact was on the left side of the speedboat and the right side of the jet-ski, said Mr Flavin, adding that he initially thought that there were two jet-skis involved.
But he later realised that one of them was the inflatable dinghy being towed by the speedboat.
Garda Mark Nolan - a member of Youghal RNLI - told how the lifeboat was launched and met up with the rescue boat at it came into the quay.
"Patrick Daly was in and out of consciousness, he was very pale and his pulse was weak," he said.
They had called for an emergency helicopter to airlift Patrick Daly to Cork University Hospital and they transferred him to the lifeboat to take him back out so the helicopter could collect him.
But he was pronounced dead shortly afterwards and the helicopter mission was aborted.
Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster said that Patrick Daly had severe bruising to the right side of his head and all the way down his right side, as well as lacerations to his liver and his right kidney.
This was consistent with being injured in the manner described in the collision by the witnesses.
She said that cause of death was due to cerebral and abdominal trauma consistent with blunt force trauma to the right side of the head and abdomen.
He was unconscious and would not have suffered any pain from his injuries, she said.
The south Cork coroner, Mr Frank O'Connell, said that he was satisfied that the tragedy resulted from an accident. "I don't think it can be described as anything else. I am proposing bringing in a verdict of accidental death," he said.
He returned a verdict of accidental death and extended his sympathies to Patrick Daly's parents, Pat and Marie.
Condolences were expressed on behalf of the Garda by Inspector Martin Dorney.