Snagged lobster pot caused drowning of Glengad fisherman, inquest told

A Glengad fisherman drowned after a lobster pot snagged on rocks causing his small fishing boat to sink, the inquest into his death found.

Daniel McDaid drowned on June 28, 2014 after his vessel sank off Kinnego Bay. The 56-year-old had left on his own early in the morning from  Portleen pier to go lobster fishing. 

Fisherman Gerard McLaughlin told the inquest at Letterkenny Coroner’s Court that he launched his boat to go fishing at 6.10am from Bunagee and saw Mr McDaid’s boat heading east.

When approaching Kinnego Bay Mr McLaughlin noticed debris and diesel in the water.

He tried calling Mr McDaid on the radio three times but got no answer. Another fisherman responded and the Coast Guard was alerted. Mr McLaughlin found an emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) floating in the water.

Shortly after, he saw Mr McDaid floating face down in the water. Mr McDaid, who was wearing a lifejacket which was inflated, was retrieved by a larger boat which had come upon the scene. The Coast Guard carried out an extensive search of the area involving the Rescue 118 helicopter to ensure there were no other casualties.

Charlie Cavanagh, officer in charge at Greencastle Coast Guard station, said two boats were launched after the report of debris was received at 9.47am. 

Two doctors were brought to the scene by boat and Mr McDaid was pronounced dead.

A postmortem found that death was due to drowning. There was no evidence of a head injury and Mr McDaid had no underlying health issues.

Mr Cavanagh said the sinking would have happened in an instant and Mr McDaid would have had no time to react. 

He said it was not clear if the EPIRB came loose or Mr McDaid had removed it.  The boat was located by divers and recovered the following day.

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An investigation by the  Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) report found a line wrapped around the propeller that was connected to a lobster pot trapped on rocks, which may have caused the vessel to list and then flood.

The investigation found the boat was designed for lake use on Lough Neagh and had been extensively modified by Mr McDaid. No record was found of the boats’ stability having been assessed after the modifications.

The MCIB found that while Mr McDaid had time to remove the EPIRB from its bracket, he had insufficient time to activate it. Weather conditions were good and were not a factor in the incident. 

The report found the vessel was not compliant with the requirements of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sports code of practice for the design, construction, equipment and operation of small fishing vessels.

The boat was not carrying the required lifesaving appliances in the form of lifebuoys or other aids. The only safety equipment recovered from the scene were the EPIRB and the life jacket worn by Mr McDaid. The report made no safety recommendations.

Coroner Dr Denis McCauley offered apologies to Mr McDaid’s family over the delay in holding the inquest which was due to an “oversight” related to the fact two men called Daniel McDaid had died at two different times. The death was “an accident” and the MCIB report went along with everything the inquest had found, he said.

Dr McCaule said the emergency services had arrived quickly and dealt with the incident professionally.