Coroner In Michael Beattie Inquest Calls For Compulsory Lifejackets On NI Waterways

15th September 2018

Lough Erne Yacht Club on Gublusk Bay

#WaterSafety - Lifejackets should be made compulsory on Northern Ireland’s waterways, the inquest into the drowning of a former Lough Erne Yacht Club commodore has heard.

As BBC News reports, coroner Joe McCrisken suggested that Michael Beattie may have had a better chance of survival if he had been wearing a personal flotation device.

Beattie, whose body was found in the lough on 12 December last year, is thought to have slipped into the water in icy conditions while attempting to board his luxury motor cruiser the night before.

CCTV footage showed him struggling in the water for almost two hours hours before swimming to land, apparently in a confused state, and falling back into the water 90 minutes later.

The inquest found Beattie died from drowning as a result of cold water immersion and hypothermia.

“County Fermanagh has some of the most tranquil and beautiful waterways in the world, but water has inherent dangers,” McCrisken said.

BBC News has more on the story HERE.

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MacDara Conroy

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MacDara Conroy is a contributor covering all things on the water, from boating and wildlife to science and business

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