Water body to investigate if drownings were suicides

The Irish Water Safety Association has announced plans to re-investigate all coastal drownings over the last five years in Ireland.

The move is being implemented in an effort to establish how many of the deaths were suicides and how many were accidental drownings.

Official figures show that around 400 people take their own lives in Ireland every year, with up to one-quarter of victims drowning themselves.

However, many cases that are officially listed as accidental drownings are also believed to be suicides.