US snow plough accident leaves girl fighting for life

A YOUNG woman from the outskirts of Limerick city is fighting for her life after a freak accident at a ski resort in the US involving a snow plough.

Tara Flynn, aged 22, was on holiday at the resort in Colorado where her cousins work as ski instructors.

She is in a coma and her parents Tom and Mary have flown to be at her hospital bedside.

Tara’s uncle Frank Flynn said: “She was walking in the region of the ski village, visiting my son and daughter. We’re quite vague still on what happened exactly, but we know that she was involved in an accident with a snow plough which left her in a coma and with a broken leg.”

He said doctors are hopeful that Ms Flynn will make a full recovery.

Mr Flynn said: “They have told Tom and Mary that she is in a mild coma, meaning she will hopefully wake up soon. We are not considering this as a question of whether she will wake up, but when she will wake up. It’s just a matter of time. This has come as a shock to us all, but we understand she is getting great care and we have been kept up to date on developments by our family.”

Ms Flynn is a past pupil of St Patrick’s Comprehensive School in Shannon and completed a business degree at the University of Limerick last year.

Fr Liam Enright, parish priest of Cratloe, said the thoughts of the entire parish are with the Flynn family, and they would pray for Ms Flynn’s full recovery at mass in St John’s Church over the coming days.