Department denies trying to obstruct inquest into Coast Guard volunteer's death

A preliminary inquest was held at Limerick Coroner’s Court

Mon, 12 Jun, 2023 - 21:56

David Raleigh

A preliminary inquest hearing into the death of Irish Coast Guard volunteer Caitríona Lucas has heard that the Department of Transport refuted suggestions by a lawyer for Ms Lucas’s family that it had attempted to obstruct the inquest.

Ms Lucas died after a Rib attached to the Kilkee Coast Guard unit capsized during a search for a missing man on September 12, 2016.

The 41-year-old mother of two was a librarian and experienced member of Doolin Coast Guard. She was the first Coast Guard volunteer to die on a call out.

Simon Mills, counsel for the department, which is responsible for the Irish Coast Guard, told Limerick Coroner’s Court on Monday that his client would assist the inquest in any way it could.

Lawyer Michael Kingston, on behalf of the family, said the whereabouts of the helmet, life-jacket, and dry suit worn by Ms Lucas at the time she died was unknown.

He said the Coast Guard had audio and visual recordings of the rescue attempt but that the family’s representative had not yet received these.

'No evidence'

“It is seven years since this accident happened and we don’t have any of the evidence — it is staggering,” said Mr Kingston.

Mr Mills said his client refuted a suggestion by Mr Kingston that a letter sent from the department to the coroner said that it wanted an inquest carried out in a certain way and that it would decide what evidence would be produced.

“It does not say that, and nor would it ever say that,” said Mr Mills.

He said his client had inquired about the whereabouts of Ms Lucas’s safety helmet and clothing but said, “I am told we have not been able to locate the helmet and we have not been able to locate the life-jacket”.

The coroner said: “The evidence should have been preserved, that’s the bottom line, so if it’s not there, there is not a lot I can do about it... I can’t produce it if it’s not there.”

The coroner said he would contact the Health and Safety Authority to see if it had information about the helmet and clothing. However, he added: “I don’t suspect that they will have it either.”

At this point, Ms Lucas’s widowed husband Bernard Lucas, who was accompanied by his daughter Emma, asked: “How is that good enough?”

The coroner replied that if the evidence is not available to him, “what do you want me to do?”

Mr Lucas retorted: “Find it, there has to be a record of it somewhere, so go and find it.”

At this juncture, the coroner, addressing Mr Kingston, said: “I don’t want to upset anyone, but I’m asking for people to control themselves in the context of this inquest.”

The coroner adjourned the matter for a full hearing on November 27.