Coroner warns over dogs on boats

Bringing dogs onto small open boats can be extremely dangerous, a coroner has warned.

South Kerry coroner Terence Casey also urged people to always wear lifejackets, even for short distances, at the inquest into the death of a 55-year-old man who drowned in Kenmare Bay.

William Topham, a married father of three and electrician, had set out on a duck-shooting expedition with a companion in an open Canadian canoe in Kenmare Bay on January 31, the last day of the shooting season

Mr Topham, also known as Bill, of Greenane Heights, Greenane, Kenmare, was already at Templenoe pier and had the boat in the water, the lunch and the duck decoys packed for the shooting trip to Kelly’s Island, a short distance from the pier, when his companion Simon O’Reilly arrived after 2pm, Mr O’Reilly told the inquest in Killarney yesterday

Each man had a springer spaniel and they set out, with the dogs in the centre of the boat. Each had an oar and Mr O’Reilly was in the front. Half way to the island, “around 300 yards out”, the dogs started “messing” in the boat, there were waves and the men tried to manoeuvre the craft.

The boat flipped over “in a few seconds” and the men and their dogs were in the water, Mr O’Reilly said in his deposition, which was read on his behalf by Supt Flor Murphy.

Out in the water, Bill’s dog was on top of him, and Mr O’Reilly’s dog on top of him. They had both tried to right the boat. Mr Topham was about 2.5m away and had become buoyant in the last Mr O’Reilly saw of him.

Mr O’Reilly made it to the island partly by clinging onto the boat; when he got there his legs were numb. He was rescued from the rocks.

The coroner asked if they were wearing lifejackets, and Mr O’Reilly said they were not.

State pathologist Margot Bolster, who carried out the autopsy, found death was due to drowning.

“Bringing dogs onto a small craft can be extremely dangerous,” said Mr Casey.