The widow of a pilot boat keeper who drowned in Dublin Bay after he fell overboard from a ship yesterday secured £135,000 and costs in settlement of her High Court action for damages against Dublin Port and Docks Board.
Mrs Eileen Kavanagh, Kilclare Crescent, Tallaght, Co Dublin, had sued the board over the death of her husband, James, a pilot boat keeper, on January 7th, 1996.
In court yesterday, Mr Sean Ryan SC, for Mrs Kavanagh, described a mission to collect items from another ship carried out by Mr Kavanagh and another man in the pilot boat. The situation was difficult and windy, with a swell of five or six feet. During the operation Mr Kavanagh fell overboard.
His colleague on the pilot boat tried to rescue him, but Mr Kavanagh drifted away and was drowned.
Approving the settlement of the action, Mr Justice Kearns offered his sympathy to Mrs Kavanagh.
She took the proceedings on her own behalf and on behalf of her late husband's other dependants.