A DEAF man saved a friend from drowning in the Royal Canal, put failed to rescue another, an inquest has been told.
Two deaf people fought for their lives in pitch blackness in the water during attempts to rescue Mr Alan Fitzgerald (20), of Annamoe Drive, Cabra, Dublin.
Friends described how they returned to the canal some time later to resume the search, after it was initially believed he had been seen swimming to safety.
Sgt Michael O'Brien of Mountjoy Garda station told Dublin City Coroner's Court 11 people had drowned along the stretch of canal between Binn's Bridge and Crossguns Bridge in 1996.
The City Coroner, Dr Brian Farrell, said inquest records relating to people who had died in the Royal Canal had been forwarded to the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, at the request of the Department's waterways section.
He renewed calls for the stretch of the canal to be made safe after hearing of the death of the young deaf man, who had successfully sat his Leaving Certificate examination.
A verdict of accidental death was recorded.
Ms Karen Trimble, of Esker Park, Lucan, Co Dublin, said the group of friends had met members of the Deaf Club at Quinn's pub in Drumcondra on the evening of August 2nd, 1997.
After leaving the pub shortly after midnight they walked towards the city centre to get something to eat.
As they got to Binn's Bridge, Mr Fitzgerald walked down to the canal to relieve himself and when he did not return Mr Declan Flynn went to look for him.
She then heard Declan screaming that something was wrong with Alan. A splash was then heard and she knew Declan had fallen into the water. She could also hear Alan calling for help.
Her boyfriend, Mr Gary Kilalee, who is partially deaf, climbed down on to the lock gates and jumped into the water to save them.
Mr Flynn told the inquest: "When I fell into the deep water I lost consciousness for a second and when I came around my hearing aids weren't working. I could not see Alan's face, but I held on to his shirt. He was trying to pull himself up, but he was dragging me down.
"Both of us were struggling in the water. I could feel water flowing down on my head and then I could feel torches shining down on me.
The inquest was told how Mr Kilalee struggled to pull Declan Fitzgerald from the water, and was almost dragged down before he clambered out of the canal and returned to the lock gates. He managed to pull Declan from the water with the help of a rope thrown to him by the fire brigade.
The hearing was also told of how a man who went missing after a stag party at a city nightclub was found drowned four weeks' later.
Posters were displayed and an extensive Garda search instigated for Mr Patrick Curran (29), of Glendalough Road, Drumcondra, who went missing after the party at the Break For The Border club on December 8th.
His decomposed body was found on January 8th, 1997, by a man working a tug at the Bulk Jetty North. Dr Farrell said his death might have been accidental, but recorded an open verdict as there was no evidence as to what had happened.