Paramedic felt ‘survivor’s guilt’ over death of friend

A paramedic who has sued for nervous shock after witnessing the death of his colleague who fell out of an ambulance yesterday told the High Court he suffered survivor’s guilt afterwards.

“The survivor’s guilt was hitting me all the time. I felt it was a never ending thing. I was on a merrygoround I could not get off,” PJ Cahill told the High Court.

Referring to the 2010 accident when his friend and colleague father of six Simon Sexton died, Mr Cahill said: ”All I know is it should never have happened. You are working for a caring professional service and end up falling out of an ambulance and dying on the side of the road.” He told Mr Justice Raymond Fullam: “The survivor’s guilt will always be there.”

PJ Cahill who was driving the ambulance on the N3 Cavan to Dublin Road has already told the court how on June 3, 2010 as they transferred a patient from Cavan to Dublin he heard a thud about 11km outside Cavan town. He looked in a mirror to see his 43-year old friend Mr Sexton hit the ground.

Mr Cahill, aged 50, from Kilnagarbet, Stradone, Co Cavan, has sued his employers the HSE and the German manufacturer of the ambulance Wietmarscher Ambulanz Und Sonderf Ahrzeug for nervous shock after witnessing the accident in which Mr Sexton fell out.

The claims are denied by both defendants.

In evidence yesterday, Mr Cahill also told how at Mr Sexton’s funeral the then CEO of the HSE, Brendan Drumm sympathised with him.

The case before Mr Justice Fullam continues today.