Extreme sports enthusiast died from sudden cardiac arrest while kitesurfing in Dublin Bay

An inquest at Dublin District Coroner’s Court heard that Ger Fennelly was sent airborne by a sudden gust of wind, one of the most violent squalls the witness had ever experienced at Dollymount Strand. Picture: Collins Dublin

An extreme sports enthusiast died after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest caused by an undetected congenital heart problem while kitesurfing in Dublin Bay last year, an inquest has heard.

The finding has led to a call by the family of the dead man, Ger Fennelly, for all participants in extreme sports to get screened for a condition which a medical expert said could affect up to 25% of the population and be exacerbated by “adrenalin-driven” activities.