Man drowned after he was 'snagged' onto submerged car in Limerick city

A MAN in his 40s drowned after he was “snagged” to a submerged car while swimming in the River Shannon in Limerick city, an inquest has heard.

Christopher Leo, 44, of Cliona Park, Moyross, died as a result of asphyxiation due to drowning while swimming at Brown’s Quay on the afternoon of June 30 last.

His friend Eric Woodland, of Dalglish Park, Moyross, said that he and Christopher went to Brown’s Quay where they were “sitting down enjoying the sun as it was roasting hot”.

Ann Halvey, of Cosgrave Park, was also there with two of her daughters at the same time, the inquest heard this Wednesday afternoon.

Mr Woodland said that he was going “to show off in front of the kids” and then entered the water.

He said he got “worried” when he could not see him in the water.

The emergency services arrived within a short time later, the inquest heard. Mr Woodland said that resuscitation attempts were made.

He said that Christopher had “one or two drinks” that day and that he “wasn’t drunk”.

Ms Halvey said she went down with her two daughters to Brown’s Quay, or “the Metal Bridge”, where she saw Mr Woodland the Christopher Leo.

She said that after a few minutes, Christopher entered the water to swim. She said she could see him “popping up and down”, adding that she thought “he was only messing”.

Garda Alan Dowling said that he was instructed to attend the scene of a “male in difficulty in water” at Brown’s Quay.

He said that divers performed CPR on Christopher.

The inquest heard that Christopher was “snagged onto a car that was under water”. Coroner John McNamara asked Gda Dowling: “How does a car get into the water?”

Gda Dowling said that there is joyriding in the area, and that the car could have been “driven in or pushed into the water”.

Mr McNamara said it was “very unusual” that the car was at this location.

The inquest heard that Christopher was pronounced dead at 6.18pm that evening at University Hospital Limerick.

Giving medical evidence, pathologist Dr Gabor Laskai said that Christopher Leo died as a result of asphyxiation due to drowning.

A toxicology examination showed that Christopher had “slightly above therapeutic levels” of alprazolam and “very low” levels of alcohol in his system.

Mr McNamara said he got “snagged onto a car so his reaction to that would be compromised”.

The coroner said the incident was “very closely linked to an accident” but returned a verdict of misadventure due to the alcohol and drugs in his system, which he said would “affect your coordination and your ability to react if something happens”.