This article is from page 12 of the 2008-01-29 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
THE County Coroner has described as a “great pity” a fishing trip by a eroup of friends that ended with the death of a Polish man.
Isobel O’Dea was speaking at the inquest into the death of Dariucz Dzikowski. Mr Dzikowski died af- ter he was swept from rocks on the coastline at Kilkee on October 28, 2007.
Ms O’Dea said weather conditions on the day were particularly bad. She said, “My recollection of the day is that it was a pretty miserable one. It was a great pity that people went fishing. I would like to pay tribute to the rescue services who went out in those conditions.”
Ms O’Dea returned a verdict of death by drowning as result of fish- ing off the rocks near Kilkee.
In giving her decision, Ms O’Dea
said, “I am aware that there is a lack of witnesses in the court, but I am satisfied there is no foul play.”
No members of Mr Dzikowski’s family or any of the witnesses present at the time of the accident were present in the Coroner’s Court in Ennis last Wednesday.
Ms O’Dea said she was aware there had been difficulty contacting wit- nesses and that the Polish embassy was anxious to get a death certificate. She said she would be writing to the Polish embassy to appraise them of the situation.
Inspector John Galvin read to the court the deposition of the deceased’s brother-in-law, Wojech Wilk. He described how Mr Dzikowski was swept into the sea. “It was a Sunday afternoon and we went fishing down past the Pollock holes in Kilkee. I was with Dariucz and our friends, Jan Krsten and Adam Kurzalkowsk1.
At about 1.30pm, a wave hit Dariucz and brought him into the sea. Adam threw him a lifejacket but we couldn’t see him.”
Tony O’Mahony of the Shannon Helicopter Rescue Service told the court, “We located the body within 10 minutes and we administered CPR immediately.”
Garda John Reidy told the court that at 1.40pm on the day of the in- cident he had received a report that a person had fallen into the sea near Kilkee golf club.
‘I searched the area and could not see anyone or find anyone who could help. I realised that the accident had occurred on the cliffs at the far side. I resumed the search there.”
Mr Dzikowski was airlifted to En- nis and was pronounced dead at En- nis General Hospital. Inspector John Galvin extended his sympathy to the family and friends of Mr Dzikowsk1.