Drowning victim’s father calls for proper slipway

THE father of a man who was swept to his death in the river Lee during the 2009 flood has called on the city’s authorities to build a proper slipway for search and recovery teams.

Brian Mooney made his call at the weekend at a memorial in Cork to mark the second anniversary of Brecan’s death.

“The boatmen who helped us search the river for Brecan were just unbelievable. They were a huge support to us,” Mr Mooney said.

“They were on the water for hours every day, for three weeks. And even since then, any time they felt there was a chance the body might surface, they have gone back out again.”

But Mr Mooney said the lack of proper slipways near the city makes their task even more difficult.

“The inconvenience of having no slipway is unbelievable. There should be somewhere they can take their boats out.”

He pleaded with the Port of Cork and Cork City Council to examine the issue.

Dave Linehan, a spokesperson for the Missing Person’s Association of Ireland, was involved in the search for Brecan, alongside members of the Mallow Search and Rescue team.

The busy volunteer search teams have recovered two bodies from the Lee in the past week.

Mr Linehan said the pier in Blackrock is the only suitable place to launch their four-metre search boat, but the slipway there is too small.

“It is a complete nightmare. We are struggling there at the moment,” he said. “Someone could receive a injury doing it in those conditions.”

The slipway at the Lee Boat Club is crumbling and the slipway at the Shandon Boat Club is a private facility.

“Blackrock is the ideal place to launch the boat, but the slipway needs to be replaced with a bigger slipway. It would make a huge difference,” Mr Linehan said.

Brecan, 31, who lived at Monastery Terrace, in Cork, climbed over the railings of the Christy Ring Bridge in the city centre in the early hours of November 19, 2009. But he lost his grip and fell into the swollen river. Just hours later, the city was struck by the worst flood in living memory.

It was November 24 before it was deemed safe for naval and Garda divers to enter the river. The body was never found.

A dove was released at the memorial for Brecan held at the Lee Boat Club on Saturday.