Community struggles to come to terms with river tragedies

LOCAL and national helplines and counselling numbers were busy yesterday after a spate of tragic deaths across Co Wexford in the past week.

The South Eastern Health Board launched a local freephone helpline yesterday amid growing concern over a sharp rise in the number of suicides in the county.

Five men have jumped to their death into the River Slaney in separate incidents since Monday of last week. Two bodies have been recovered and just one person has survived. It is now feared that another man, a 23-year-old, may also have drowned.

More than 100 boats and members of Slaney Sea and Rescue battled against the elements yesterday to search the swollen river for the body of a father-of-three who has been missing for over a week. They were also searching for the remains of father-of-five. Fr John Sweetman of St Aidan's in Enniscorthy said the events of the past 10 days have stunned the community. It is a difficult time for everyone, he said, particularly those waiting for bodies to be recovered.

"Today's weather is adding further to the trauma," he said, referring to the high winds that hampered rescue operations. "One of my big themes always is for people to talk to someone, either a trusted friend or to get in touch with one of these helplines.

"It is normal to experience difficulty and it is important to reach out and look for help."

Only large-scale suicide awareness advertising will help stem the numbers taking their own lives, said Fintan Dunne of support group Men's Aid.

"What's happening at the moment, as various reviews and task reports show, is that we are spending the money in the wrong places," he said. "We are layered down with bureaucracy, which is completely ineffective.

"In the suicide prevention area, half of the activity going on involves bureaucrats talking to other bureaucrats rather than helping people."

He urged those who have been bereaved by suicide to come together and discuss how they are feeling and said it is helpful for people to realise that they are not at fault.

"It's not the responsibility of any one family," he stressed. We need education reform and 'buddy systems' in place so that pupils in schools can talk to someone when they feel down.

"We need to get people used to the idea of going to someone when they are in difficulty," he said.

"We need to concentrate less on the points people get and help empower them."

Helpline Numbers: Men's Aid [phone] Aware [phone]; Health Board helpline 1800-455-120