The father of a 17-year-old from Armagh who died off the Cliffs of Moher in Co Clare has questioned why the Irish Coast Guard could not recover his son’s body from the rocks.
As The Sunday Independent reports, the family of Lochlann Murray, an apprentice electrician from Silverbridge, Co Armagh, had to seek the help of Monaghan divers who made a 555km round trip to assist.
Lochlann Murray was reported missing on July 5th and a Civil Defence drone located his body after his car was found close to the Cliffs of Moher.
Mr Murray told The Sunday Independent that he, his brother-in-law and several friends drove to Clare, and were told that the local Coast Guard unit could not help with recovering Lochlann.
They were told that a Garda sub-aqua team would not get there for several more days as it was on another recovery operation.
Frank McDermott, chairman of the Rockcorry Divers and North Coast Search and Recovery group, responded to a call from Mr Murray’s niece.
“In my years doing this type of recovery work, north and south of the border, I have never come across a situation like this where a family was left pleading for help,” Mr McDermott said.
He paid tribute to former Doolin Coast Guard volunteer Bernard Lucas for assisting them in a personal capacity, as the Rockcorry team did not know the coastline.
Doolin Coast Guard unit, once one of the busiest and most experience in the State, has not been fully operational since November 2021 when ten members were dismissed, including Mr Lucas.
His wife, advanced coxswain Caitriona Lucas, died while trying to assist a neighbouring unit at Kilkee.
Mr Murray described how he and several friends descended to the ledge area to help the Monaghan divers put his son’s body into a body bag.
“It was just harrowing – at one point, I thought we were all going to lose our lives,”he said.
Mr Lucas confirmed that this was one of several incidents where he and several colleagues have helped families who lost relatives below the cliffs - as Doolin Coast Guard’s cliff climbing unit was not available.
He said he and a group of former Coast Guard volunteers plan to set up their own search and recovery group to help fill a gaping void in a very busy tourist area, once they can secure insurance and funding.
John O’Mahony of the Irish Coast Guard Volunteers’ Representative Association, comprising current and former Coast Guard members who have been seeking reforms, said that it was “horrified” at the ordeal which the family had to go through, and paid tribute to the Rockcorry divers and Mr Lucas.
“The Doolin unit, as it was formerly, was exceptional and should never have been taken out of service by Irish Coast Guard management,” O’Mahony said. “We will be supporting Bernard Lucas in his fundraising efforts.”
Asked to comment, the Department of Transport on behalf of the Irish Coast Guard said that between July 5th and 7th, Doolin Coast Guard Unit “carried out boat and drone operations” at the request of the Garda.
“When the body was sighted, it was assessed that it would require a dive team to recover the body, as it was not otherwise accessible by boat or helicopter,” the department said.
“Options on deployment of available diving units were already under consideration by the Garda Siochána,” the department said.
“ On July 7th, a body was recovered by the Rockcorry Diving Club and was transferred to the Garda Siochána at Doolin pier. The Coast Guard extends its sincere condolences to the family on this sad occasion,” the department said.
The Garda Press Office said that “it is a matter for the Irish Coast Guard to respond as to the deployment of their members,”and said it has a close working relationship with Doolin Coast Guard.
“ Chief Superintendent Aileen Magner would like to extend her deepest condolences to the family of the bereaved,” the press office said.
Read The Sunday Independent here