Father of homeless man who drowned in Grand Canal 'stunned' at inquest verdict

Alex Warnick, aged 42, died when he fell into the Grand Canal on July 6, 2024. Picture: Stephen Collins/Collins

The American father of a homeless man who drowned in a canal in Dublin last year has said the inquest into his son’s death has left him “with more questions than answers”. 

Alex Warnick, aged 42, died when he fell into the Grand Canal, while a second man, Kerry-born Donal Scanlon, aged 49, also lost his life in the double tragedy.

The remains of both men were found by a passer-by at about 8am on July 6, 2024.

An inquest into both of their deaths returned an open verdict because the exact circumstances surrounding the two drownings remain unclear.

Investigating garda Brian Flannery said there were no witnesses to the incident, and both men, who had lived in tents beside the canal, had not been seen entering the water — but he was satisfied no third party was involved.

Alex Warner’s father, Greg, who gave evidence via Zoom at the inquest, told the Irish Examiner this week he was “stunned” by the verdict.

He had previously understood from information gathered at the time that his son had entered to water to help rescue Mr Scanlon after he fell in.

Autopsy results indicated Mr Warnick had been in the water longer than Mr Scanlon — but there were no witnesses to the incident.

“I feel I left the inquest a little stunned” he said. “I was hoping that some additional facts or findings may have helped me understand how Alex came to be in the canal. It has left me with more questions than answers.

That part of me was looking for something that would help me understand how this kid survived for over 25 years on the streets of the world and the last five years in Dublin.

“So, I was hoping there was some bigger reasons, and I settled for the drugs and alcohol finally caught up with him and that he was on the streets because that was the world he chose to live in, and he was admired and needed [there].” 

During the inquest, the court was told  both men had pitched their tents close to one another and there was only a short distance between each because they occupied almost all of the canal bank on the Grand Parade side of the waterway.

Garda Flannery told the inquest: “Unfortunately, the only two people who know why they entered the water are no longer with us.” 

Written statements to the coroner’s court from Mr Warnick’s friend Gareth Kirwan said he had last seen him on the afternoon before and that he was “drunk and loud but not out of control”. 

Another man, Andrew Haire who lived in a tent with Mr Scanlon, said there was “a lot of drink and drugs involved”. 

He said both he and Mr Scanlon were chronic alcoholics, and all three men had consumed a lot of alcohol and drugs around the city centre the day before their bodies were found in the water.

Autopsy results showed Alex Warnick had evidence of five times the legal driving limit for alcohol in his system and "toxic" benzodiazepine levels, as well as evidence of cocaine and methadone use.

Coroner Clare Keane said those levels were not fatal on their own but would make an individual unsteady on their feet.

While Mr Scanlon had consumed alcohol just above the drink driving limit and a benzodiazepine above a therapeutic level, there was also evidence of cocaine use.

Dr Keane said “washerwoman changes” to Mr Warnick’s skin which were evidence of immersion in water and were not present with Mr Scanlon — this she said indicated he had not been in the water for as long as his friend.

“Grief never really goes” Greg Warnick said this week. “It hides in those parts of us that the light rarely shines on, he’s my child, I love him.

“I am just feeling the impact and a little raw, I have to let go of thinking I would know what really happened”.

He said he had remained in contact with Alex’s street family since his death and he hoped to come to Dublin to personally say goodbye and to thank those who were always there for Alex and hopefully that “will bring some closure.”