A FATHER-of-three who died while scuba diving off the coast of Donegal suffered a heart attack, an inquest into his death has found.
Patrick Doran, of Finisklin, Carrick on Shannon, County Leitrim, was one of more than 100 divers taking part in a planned two-day event organised by the Donegal Bay Sub Aqua Club in June last year.
An inquest into the death of the 49-year-old was held on Friday last in Letterkenny Courthouse, led by Coroner Dr Denis McCauley.
Sergeant Jim Collins read the deposition of Sergeant Mark Colgan, of Glenties Garda Station, into the inquest. Sergeant Colgan was alerted by Malin Coastguard on Saturday, June 22, 2024 at 12.45 hours in relation to an incident near Teeling. The coastguard had requested garda assistance after two men got into difficulty while scuba diving off the coast.
“On arrival to the scene, I observed a male whom I now know to be Mr Patrick Doran. He was lying on the pier after being taken from the water. I spoke to Dr Gerry Murray who was on the scene, and who pronounced the death of Mr Doran at 13.19 hours,” Mr Colgan’s deposition stated.
The inquest heard a cordon was created and the scene was preserved. Sergeant Colgan gave an instruction for witnesses to be canvassed and for statements to be taken by gardaí. Sergeant Colgan subsequently contacted Coroner Dr Denis McCauley.
Permission was given to remove the body of Mr Doran to Sligo University Hospital at 13.59 hours, where a postmortem examination was subsequently carried out.
The inquest was told the other diver, Mr Gerry Gilroy, had been taken from the scene following a medical assessment for treatment to Galway University Hospital.
Sergeant Colgan requested the retrieval of the scuba units that had been worn by Mr Doran and Mr Gilroy to allow for an examination to be carried out. The inquest was told the equipment was later examined by expert David James Gratton, who said he could not find any specific flaws with any of it.
The inquest also heard from Mr Doran’s wife, Siobhan, who formally identified the body of her husband at the mortuary of Sligo University Hospital at 19.10 hours.
Dr Gerard O’Dowd gave findings from an autopsy examination on the body of Mr Doran carried out by Dr Paul Hartel. The postmortem findings concluded no external injuries.
On internal examination, both of Mr Doran’s lungs were significantly increased in weight. There was severe coronary artery disease at an unusually advanced level for someone of Mr Doran’s. There was also an increase in the weight of the brain, the inquest heard.
Dr McCauley said the cause of death was acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) and that he died as the result of natural causes.
