Call for warning signs after drowning

The tragic drowning of a schoolboy at a popular bathing spot during last summer’s heatwave has prompted official calls for the installation of new warning signs.

Cork’s city coroner, Dr Myra Cullinane, said she will write to the local authority urging it to install the new signs at Moll Goggin’s Corner on Youghal’s Front Strand in East Cork to warn swimmers of the dangers of potentially treacherous currents and tidal conditions in that area.

She was speaking after recording a verdict of accidental death in the case of Kyle Roche, who drowned there last July.

It is understood Kyle’s devastated mother, Vivienne, was very anxious that such a recommendation would be made in a bid to prevent similar tragedies.

An inquest heard how Kyle, 11, was with his family at Youghal Strand enjoying some late evening sunshine on July 10 last.

The boy, who couldn’t swim, was playing in the water near Moll Goggin’s Corner with a younger friend at around 5pm when they got into difficulty as the tide was coming in.

The inquest heard that there is a very strong transverse tide in this area linked to the emptying of the river Blackwater into the bay nearby, and as the tide rose quickly, the boys found themselves out of their depth.

Kyle’s friend, who could swim, said his pal appeared to faint as the waters rose, and he swam back to shore to raise the alarm, describing the swim back as “very tough”.

The strong currents swept Kyle out into the bay as Vivienne, and shocked onlookers, watched helplessly.

Local man Eugene Sheils, who knows the currents well, saw Kyle being swept out to sea and he swam out in an heroic effort to save him.

Nurse Crena McPolin saw Mr Sheils swimming out and thought he wouldn’t be able to effect a rescue on his own, so she swam out too.

By now, the alarm had been raised, and local boats rushed to help.

Eventually, fisherman Tommy Kennedy spotted the young boy a few feet under the water, close to where Mr Sheils was still searching.

Together, the men managed to get Kyle into the boat, as the two rescue swimmers were picked up by the local lifeboat.

Despite the best efforts of all the medics, Kyle was pronounced dead a short time after arrival at Cork University Hospital.

Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster, who carried out a postmortem on the boy, established the cause of death was cardiac and respiratory failure due to drowning.

Dr Cullinane offered her deepest sympathies to Kyle’s devastated parents, Vivienne and Eugene.