THE drowning of a man last January as he tried to rescue his dog from a frozen lake has been recalled at an inquest into his death.
Mr Alan Glynn (25), of Church Street, Gort, Co Galway, was drowned after he fell through the ice at Lough Cutra, where he and his brothers, Frankie and Conor, had gone for an afternoon stroll on January 4th.
The family dog which he had tried to recover was later rescued by his father, a veterinary surgeon, Mr Francis Glynn snr.
Mr Frankie Glynn told the inquest that the ice on the lake appeared strong and safe and he threw a stone for the dog to retrieve. However, when he threw a second stone and the dog went after it at speed, it skidded and fell through.
They began to panic when they realised the dog could drown and Alan said he would try to get the animal, which was about 40 feet from shore. Alan took off his socks, shoes and trousers and started to crawl on the ice. Just as he reached where the dog was, he fell into the water.
Mr Glynn said Alan tried to lift the dog on to the ice and then tried in vain to lift himself out. He (witness) realised then that Alan was in difficulty and when he tried to reach him he also fell into the water but managed to pull himself out. After breaking more of the ice, he told Alan to swim under it, but he didn't see him again.
The East Galway coroner, Dr Richard Joyce, said one could only imagine the terror experienced by Alan's brothers as they tried to rescue him.