A young Co Mayo man who drowned while trying to save two friends after they fell into freezing waters at Galway Docks in January this year was described as a hero during the inquest into his death yesterday.
The inquest heard that Patrick Maguire (27), Ballina, Co Mayo, died after trying to save two work colleagues. The deceased was on his way back to his apartment with colleagues when two of them got into difficulties after boarding a barge. Mr Michael O'Shea and Mr Damien Byrne stepped onto the barge and Mr O'Shea fell into the water. Mr Byrne said they were trying to pull Mr O'Shea out of the water when he also fell.
Dr John O'Callaghan, who carried out a post-mortem, recorded an accidental death. Mr Maguire died of asphyxia due to drowning.
"This was a dreadful, unforeseen accident in which one member of the party stepped into the barge, which was at the same level as the pedestrian area," said the Coroner, Dr Ciaran McLoughlin. "Suddenly he fell and he found himself seven feet below that level. He got into difficulty and the deceased fell into the water while attempting to save that person."