Irishman’s family speak of trauma of having to pick remains from canal

THE family of Irishman Paul Nolan Miralles, who recovered most of his dismembered remains themselves from an Amsterdam canal last week, have said no family should have had to endure their trauma and the horror of “picking up bits of a loved one”.

The 36-year-old from Clonsilla, a photographer and waiter in The Hard Rock Café drowned in a canal after a night out on April 13. He was described at the time as “merrily tipsy” after picking up his bicycle on his way home.

Now the question likely to be asked is whether Amsterdam police could have assisted the family more.

The dead man’s family and girlfriend had to endure the trauma and horror of recovering parts of their loved one without any psychological assistance until late last week.

Last Thursday, starting at 6am using a boat owned and driven by a client of the dead man and sonar equipment they arranged themselves, they recovered eight body parts.

Help was finally offered late on Thursday night to three members of the family in the form of two “very supportive” family liaison officers, following requests by the family and through diplomatic channels.

“It has been horrific, a nightmare, so harrowing and no family should have gone through this ordeal, left alone to suffer the trauma of pulling bits of my brother’s body out of a canal,” said his sister Anne Ravanona.

Paul’s brother Jaime who fished out body parts and organs asked “why has my family been subjected to this violation and trauma?”

On Good Friday the police precinct dispatched four divers into the canal. A police female forensic officer described as “exemplary throughout” according to the family, borrowed a net from a tennis club to trawl the canal and that was used by the divers.

Then, when the family thought that “things could not get any worse” a large portion of his lower body was found by the family in the water.

“My husband and my brother and cousin had to hold on to it for an hour awaiting the police boat dispatched to pick it up, Paul’s girlfriend was there also, that was beyond human endurance.”