A MAYO man drowned after he caught his foot on the deck of his boat, a Marine Casualty Investigation Board report has found.
The board’s inquiry into the death of musician Martin Mulloy at Mulrany, Co Mayo, earlier this year was unable to reach a definite conclusion, but found that the cause may have been accidental.
Mr Mulloy was found suspended over the bow of the boat with his head in the water after he had returned from an angling trip on May 22nd last. He was wearing a lifejacket and appeared to have got his foot caught in the bow stanchion while mooring his boat.
The report says he fell towards the water and was unable to free himself. A postmortem found that the cause of death was due to drowning, with a high blood alcohol level being a contributory factor.
In a separate investigation, the investigation board has advised that the Minister for Transport should issue appropriate advisory material to boat-owners, highlighting the dangers of gas systems on board vessels.
It is one of several recommendations in a report on an explosion which injured the owner of an inland cruising vessel at Lowtown, Co Kildare, on April 21st last.
Larry McGrath had bought the vessel a month before and brought it to Lowtown, near Roberstown, via the river Shannon and the Grand Canal. He was refurbishing it and had dismantled hard furnishings and part of the gas system.
He had boarded the vessel alone on the morning of April 21st and lit the gas cooker to boil water. While waiting for the water to boil, he started the vessel’s engine and the explosion occurred.
The entire superstructure of the vessel was blown off and the interior was substantially damaged in a subsequent fire. Mr McGrath sustained a severe injury to his left eye, a fractured right wrist and general bruising and abrasions.