A school teacher who died in a surfing accident off Inis Oirr in the Aran Islands had been a physically fit man and his wife was perplexed by the circumstances of his death, she told an inquest yesterday.
David Deering (56), from Deerpark Road, Mount Merrion, Dublin, died when he got into difficulty off Inis Oirr on April 11th this year.
Deirdre McCarthy Deering said her husband was also a deep sea diver and a mountaineer. He “knew everything” about rescue and had survived “greater things”.
His son Eoin told the inquest he was surfing with his father when he was rolled over by a wave and hit again by more waves.
Mr Deering said that he climbed on to rocks and paddled hard on his surfboard to reach his father.
He said, in a deposition to the inquest, that he pulled his father out of the water and tried to resuscitate him. His sister Una had gone for help and a doctor arrived, followed by the rescue helicopter.
A verdict was recorded in accordance with the medical evidence after pathologist Dr Stephen Finn said that Mr Deering had fractured ribs and sternum and multiple abrasions on his head. He had most likely died from drowning.