Man pushing car out of grass drowned after falling backwards

A 61-year-old Co Mayo farmer drowned after falling on his back into a river while attempting to push his car, which had become stuck in the roadside grass verge, an inquest was told on Monday.

The body of Patrick Lavin, Rockfield, Claremorris, was found by a neighbour as he was checking livestock at Ballinasmalla, Claremorris, in the early hours of April 21st last year.

The neighbour, Kevin Walsh, Cranathar, Claremorris, first came across Mr Lavin's empty car on the side of the road, "parked awkwardly", engine running, with the driver's door open.

"Suddenly I looked into the stream and I could see a pair of brown shoes sticking up out of the water," Mr Walsh said in a statement, which was read out at the inquest in Castlebar conducted by the coroner for Mayo, Patrick O'Connor.

“I looked again and could see a man beneath the surface of the water. He was clearly dead. There was no movement,” the statement continued.

Accidental death

Garda Gráinne Bligh, one of the investigating garda officers, told the inquest that the vehicle had left marks that seemed to suggest it was being reversed when it became stuck.

Sgt Seamus O’Brien said his investigations suggested the car had become stuck after it was backed into the grass margin.

The coroner said the evidence suggested Mr Lavin had been attempting to push his car when he fell into the river.

The medical cause of death was given as asphyxia due to drowning.

An inquest jury returned a verdict of accidental death in accordance with the medical evidence.