The Marine Casualty Investigation Board is carrying out an investigation into a capsizing incident on the Killarney lakes in which 12 passengers and their skipper were thrown into the water earlier this month.
The incident occurred on September 1st shortly after the party set out on Lough Leane. A second passenger boat which arrived to rescue them also capsized; everyone was eventually taken to safety on board a third boat. They were all wearing lifejackets .
The party had set out from one of the piers near Ross Castle for the traditional boat trip through the three Killarney lakes.
Some of the passengers, including visitors from Germany and the US, went to the Garda later in the day to make statements about lost property and damage to electronic equipment. They had been in the water for up to 20 minutes, they said
Passengers told gardaí the water got choppy as the boat was rounding a point and it was swamped by waves. It is understood the first boat was submerged and bicycles, money and cameras were lost. Gardaí said they had no specific role other than in relation to damaged and lost property.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Department of Transport are also involved in inquiries.
A spokeswoman for the Marine Casualty Investigation Board said the investigation was ongoing and its main function was to establish if any safety recommendations could be made arising from the incident.