This article is from page 11 of the 2008-12-09 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 11 JPG
AN open verdict has been returned in the case of a man whose body was recovered from the water at Doolin last April.
The inquest into the death of Ivan Klima heard that he had visited the Cliffs of Moher on April 9, 2008.
Medical evidence provided by As- sistant State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis, concluded that Mr Klima died as a result of multiple injuries consistent with a fall from a cliff.
County Coroner Isobel O’Dea told the court that an absence of evidence made it unclear how Mr Klima en- tered the water.
“The only verdict I can consider appropriate is an open verdict,’ said Mrs O’Dea.
Mr Klima, a Czech national, had been living in Mullingar. His house-
mate Janna Sulkova told Ennis Cor- oner’s Court that she had heard Mr Klima return to the house in the ear- ly hours April 5 2008. She said that Mr Klima had just returned from the Czech Republic. Mrs Sulkova heard the 29-year-old leave the house the following morning.
“The first I heard about Ivan was when his car was found at the Cliffs of Moher,” she said.
Concern for Mr Klima’s safety grew after his car was observed parked overnight at the cliffs on April 9. Local man Tom Doherty re- ported the owner of the car missing to the Gardai on April 10.
The body of a man was seen in the water near the cliffs on April 11, but poor weather meant rescue services were unable to remove it, the court heard.
The body was recovered by mem-
bers of the Doolin coastguard on April 2 and identified as that of Ivan Klima. Garda Alan Dowling who was called to the scene contacted Gardai in Mullingar. Asked by Mrs O’Dea if he could predict the exact time of death, Dr Curtis said it was not scientifically possible to do so.
Mrs O’Dea said Mr Klima had been pronounced dead on April 12. She returned an open verdict. Mrs O’Dea thanked the Doolin coast- guard and extended her sympathy to Mr Klima’s family.
Inspector John Galvin said, “I would like, on behalf of the force, to extend my sympathy to the Klima family on this tragic and untimely death of a young man.”
Solictor Frank Doherty, who rep- resented the Klima family in court, praised the efforts of the rescue serv- eh