A man who drowned in a lake in Co Clare over the weekend has been named locally as Samir Kaul.
It is understood Mr Kaul (49), Kilrush Road, Ennis, dived into the water at the old pier at Ballyalla Lake on the outskirts of Ennis.
A number of young men jumped in when Mr Kaul got into difficulty at about 6.30pm on Saturday and brought him to shore. The local lifeguard also ran to assist, and gardaí, the National Ambulance Service and the Irish Coast Guard were alerted.
Efforts were made to resuscitate him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
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The Indian national, who has lived in Ireland for several years, regularly attended the Foundation Ministries Pentecostal Church in Ennis.
Likeable individual
The foundation’s Rev Albert Obadeyi recalled how Mr Kaul “brought joy to the whole fellowship”.
A “jovial, peaceful” individual, Mr Kaul was a good listener who would “chat to everybody”, said Rev Obadeyi. He also enjoyed dancing when music was played after services.
“This is a big, big loss for us … We will miss him and pray that his family will be comforted by the Lord.”
His funeral puja, a worship ritual performed by Hindus and in other religions, will take place on Thursday. His death notice says he is sadly missed by his parents Manohar and Usha, sister Mini Basra, and other relatives and friends in India and Ireland.
Mayor of Ennis Municipal District Clare Coleman Molloy extended her sympathies to the family.
The mayor pointed to the popularity of Ballyalla Lake as a spot for swimming and pier diving.
“It is a very busy lake with all sorts of other activities there … we are all very saddened by this,” she added.
