Former MEP’s son drowned while exploring flooded lake

FORMER MEP Kathy Sinnott asked for prayers last night following her son’s tragic drowning in America.

A heartbroken Ms Sinnott positively identified Kevin’s body late on Tuesday night just hours after it was recovered from a lake in Gold Creek Golf Club in Dawson County, about an hour north of Atlanta, Georgia in the US.

The body has been taken to the coroner’s office at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for an autopsy.

Kevin, 22, who was a philosophy student at the Southern Catholic College in Dawsonville, drowned while swimming with friends in the lake on Monday night.

Dawson County Sherriff spokesman Lieutenant Tony Wooten said while the results of the autopsy will determine the course of their investigation, everything at this stage points to a tragic accident.

Kevin was with four friends on Monday night who went exploring local lakes and creeks to examine damage caused by recent heavy rains and floods which have claimed at least seven lives in the area in recent days.

Kevin and two others went for a swim in Gold Creek lake, near the college campus. And it is believed Kevin tried to swim to the other side.

His friends saw him struggling about 50 yards off shore and tried to help him but he vanished underwater.

Local residents heard screams for help and the alarm was raised at 8.20pm.

Local emergency services rushed to the scene and began searching the lake.

It resumed on Tuesday morning and members of Dawson County’s Search and Rescue unit recovered the body just after 2pm, in about 14 feet of water, 15 to 18 feet from shore, close to where he was last seen,

They waited for Ms Sinnott to arrive from Ireland with two of her sons before confirming his identity.

Southern College Campus held a prayer vigil on Monday night and a Mass on Tuesday afternoon in memory of Kevin.

College president Father Shawn Aaron said it is a very difficult time for students.

“Death is an ally; it teaches us to live life. This young man has become a prophet to us,” he said.

He described Kevin as a young man of strong faith and a good heart — one of the best students on campus.”

Lord Mayor of Cork Dara Murphy also expressed his condolences on behalf of the people of Cork to the Sinnott family. “This must be very upsetting for Kathy. In all her political involvement, she always made it clear how close she was to her family,” he said.