This article is from page 2 of the 2008-08-19 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
THE body of a man has been recov- ered from the River Fergus in Ennis.
Although not formally identified last night (Monday), it is believed the remains are those of a 3l-year-old Polish father of one missing since he went for a swim in the swollen river last Wednesday night.
The body was spotted floating in the river shortly before 4 o’clock yesterday (Monday) by a passerby at Abbey Street car park.
Przemyslaw Jablonski, who worked as a cook in Ennis, had been attend- ing a house party with a group of friends at Springfield Orchard in the town when he left the apartment with a number of friends.
He reportedly entered the River Fergus at the rear of the complex and was attempting to swim across to the other side when he was washed downstream in the strong current.
After the body was spotted in the river yesterday and the sighting was reported to gardai, officers went to the scene and observed it as it was taken downriver with the current. After travelling a further 500 metres, Gardai and Clare Civil Defence per- sonnel were able to safely secure the body before taking it ashore.
After being pronounced dead at the scene, the man’s body was first removed to Ennis General Hospital where formal identification was due to take place last night.
The body was then expected to be
transported to the Mid Western Re- gional Hospital in Limerick where a post mortem examination 1s expected to be carried today (Tuesday).
As soon as Mr Jablonski was re- ported missing last Wednesday, a massive search and rescue opera- tion was launched. Ennis fire serv- ice, Clare Civil Defence, gardai, the Doolin unit of the Irish Coastguard and the Shannon based Coastguard helicopter searched the river and bank until darkness fell before call- ing off the operation for the night.
The search continued since then and also involved Limerick Search and Rescue, Burren Sub Aqua unit and the Garda Water Unit. Poor weather conditions, treacherous river currents and almost zero underwa-
ter visibility seriously hampered the search at times.
Tragically, Mr Jablonski entered only yards from a sign which read: “No Entry – Deep Water – Do Not Swim” in a fatal act of bravado for his pals. Mr Jablonski is a separated father of one who worked as a cook at The Grove Bar and Restaurant in Roslevan in Ennis. His former partner and child are in Poland and while Mr Jablonski had no family in Ireland, gardai have kept them in- formed of developments through an interpreter.