Family of man who died by suicide embrace witness who tried to save him

By David Raleigh

A witness has given evidence at an inquest into the death of a man how the deceased told him to call an ambulance before jumping to his death in the River Shannon.

John Powell, from Nenagh, told gardaí that he was on his phone sitting in a parked car on a quay in Limerick, when another man tapped on his window and told him he was going to jump into the river.

"He asked me to dial 999 and that he was going to jump in," Mr Powell said.

Evidence was heard this afternoon at Limerick Coroners Court at the inquest into the death of John Paul O'Callaghan (aged 36), with an address at St Patrick's Hostel, Limerick.

Mr Powell, who attended the inquest using a wheelchair, "reached out" to Mr O'Callaghan, but that he "couldn't get to him".

Mr Powell said he shouted at Mr O'Callaghan: "Don't!".

"There was nothing I could do," he told the inquest.

The incident occurred around 3.15pm on November 25, 2015.

"He was wearing a woolly hat and a jacket, and he spoke with a Limerick accent. I'd never met him before that point," Mr Powell said.

Garda Sean O'Hagan, Henry Street Garda Station, said Mr O'Callaghan's body was taken from the river at O'Callaghan Strand and transferred by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick, where he was pronounced dead around 4.30pm.

The inquest heard Mr O'Callagan sustained cuts to the right side of his forehead in the jump.

The cause of death was due to drowning, the inquest heard.

As well as a large amount of fluid and water discovered in his lungs and stomach, Mr O'Callaghan's post mortem also found a bi-product of cocaine in his urine.

Coroner Dr Timothy Casey said: "An open verdict is probably best, as no one knows what triggered off this final act by John Paul O'Callaghan."

Mr O'Callaghan's family and Mr Powell embraced each other after the verdict was read out.