A 63-year-old father of six died from carbon monoxide poisoning due to smoke inhalation after he went back into his burning farmhouse to retrieve items, an inquest into the man's death heard yesterday.
Mr John Leahy had been upstairs in his family home at Kilcredan, Ballymacoda, Co Cork, on November 25th, 2003, when at about 8 p.m. his wife Mary, daughters Margo and Teresa, and son Noel alerted him to the fire. They all left the dormer bungalow.
At yesterday's inquest a verdict of accidental death was returned, after hearing statements made to gardaí by Mr Leahy's family, as well as evidence from Garda Shay Hennessy and pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster. Cork South Coroner, Mr Frank O'Connell, extended sympathy to the Leahy family.
Mrs Leahy described how they all left the burning house."John told me that he was going into the house to get something. I saw him go in the back door. I told him not to go in - the fire was not bad at this stage." Mrs Leahy waited in her car for the fire brigade to arrive.
Ms Teresa Leahy said: "Margo and my mother sat in the car. I noticed my daddy was missing and Noel and I went looking for him. Noel went into the house to look for daddy. The fire brigade, the guards and the ambulance took over - I stayed at the scene until my dad was found."
Garda Hennessy told the inquest he went to the scene of the fire with Sgt Eoin Healy. When they arrived three units of Youghal Fire Brigade under the command of Station Fire Officer Tommy Roche were fighting the blaze.
Mr Roche told him all the occupants were outside the burning house except John Leahy. They searched some out-buildings in case Mr Leahy had escaped .
They could find no trace of him, but fire brigade search teams went back into the house after the blaze was brought under control, and at 9.40 p.m. they found Mr Leahy's body under debris at the bottom of the stairs.
Dr Bolster said Mr Leahy had suffered from serious heart disease and his heart condition had hastened his being overcome by smoke when he went back into the building.
"I would say that hastened his death - he would have gone unconscious very quickly as a result of the heart condition and the smoke. He didn't die from burns, he died from smoke inhalation - he died very rapidly."