A garda who saved nine people from drowning during his short life was laid to rest in his native Co Wexford on Tuesday, three days after he died while scuba diving in the Irish Sea.
David Hearne was an accomplished diver but died off of Hook Head on Saturday. Up to 1,000 people attended the father-of-four’s funeral Mass at the Star of The Sea Church in Duncannon, overlooking Waterford estuary.
Duncannon parish priest Fr John Nolan told mourners: “News of his death on Saturday came as a devastating shock to his family and friends . . . Dave’s life has been cut short. It’s a tragedy which has allowed us to see the remarkable impact Dave has made on so many lives.”
Garda Hearne (47) died about 15km off Hook Head while out with a team of five scuba diver friends. It is understood he had been diving on a wreck some 70m (230ft) deep and was surfacing when he lost consciousness. Two of his friends brought him up where attempts at resuscitation were made on the dive boat.
Plans were made for an Irish Coast Guard helicopter to airlift him to a decompression unit in Galway. But Garda Hearne was pronounced dead aboard the vessel. His body was airlifted to Waterford Airport and then transferred to University Hospital Waterford for postmortem.
Garda Hearne worked with the Water Unit in Santry prior to moving to Waterford where he was attached to the divisional traffic corps operating out of Waterford station in Ballybricken. Although retired from the Water Unit he volunteered in search and recovery missions as he knew the importance of getting the deceased’s remains back to relatives; his own family lost several men to the sea down the generations.
Garda Hearne received a National Bravery Award in October 2016 for saving two people from drowning in separate incidents 10 days apart in Waterford city and Dungarvan in 2014. He was previously awarded a medal for Marine Gallantry at the Marine Meritorious Awards for the double rescue of two people from the river Suir centre on the same day in April 2007.
Gardaí in Waterford and Wexford formed a guard of honour on the crest of Duncannon hill as the hearse arrived. Members of Hook Sub Aqua Club lined the pathway leading to the church doors as his remains were carried into the church. Among high-ranking officers in attendance were Assistant Garda Commissioners David Sheahan, Fintan Fanning and Michael Finn. Capt Shane Flood represented President Michael D Higgins.
Garda Hearne’s colleague John Duggan paid tribute to his late friend: “Everyone here, without exception, has a particular memory of David. The stories are legion.” He also spoke of Garda Hearne’s dovotion to wife Barbara and four children, Dylan (13), Toby (11), Noah (9) and Libby (7).
He said his friend died doing what he loved most. Noel Furlong of Hook Sub Aqua Club said Garda Hearne had an “incredible sense of humour” and would be missed. His wife Barbara addressed her children individually from the altar, telling them how much their father loved them, earning a sustained ovation from the mourners inside and outside of the church.
Garda Hearne was laid to rest afterwards in Duncannon Cemetery.