Schoolboy died of burns from lightning strike
Patrick “Paddy” Ryan, 14, of Kilclare Crescent, Tallaght, Dublin 24, was walking across a green area during a thunder and lightning storm on April 12 last when he was electrocuted, Dublin County Coroner’s Court heard.
Coroner Dr Kieran Geraghty described it as a freak and very tragic accident.
The testimony of a 13-year-old girl, too young to give evidence, was read to the court.
Nicole Douglas from Dromcarra, Tallaght was sitting upstairs on her bed watching the storm when she witnessed the incident.
She saw an “orange flash” as the deceased walked across the green.
Seconds later, she saw the boy on the ground. She alerted her parents who ran out and attempted to administer CPR.
However, Paddy’s tongue, face and stomach were turning purple and there were no signs of life, her mother Lisa Douglas told the court.
Patrick was rushed to Tallaght hospital where he was treated in the intensive care unit but his injuries proved too severe and he died at 3am on April 13.
A postmortem showed he suffered extensive burns on his body and died of brain injury, due to heart muscle damage and cardiac arrhythmia, due to electrocution by lightning.
His mother, Ann Ryan, told the court that her son had left for a soccer tournament at 9am that morning and was in good form.
She went to Liffey Valley with her other son and stopped in McDonalds on the way home to get food.
On reaching home, a daughter told her that Paddy had just left to get something to eat as he was “starving”.
Minutes later, she saw an ambulance “fly by”.
A jury of eight men and four women returned a verdict of accidental death under the direction of the coroner.
Speaking outside the court the teenager’s parents, Jerry Corr and Ann Ryan thanked everyone for all their help following the tragedy.
“We want to thank the people of Tallaght. They were very good. And we want to thank the doctors and nurses,” said Mr Corr.
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