Inquests hear two men died from acute cardiorespiratory failure due to drowning at Youghal Ironman
Youngsters laying candles in memory of Ivan Chittenden and Brendan Wall at a Vigil held in Green Park in Youghal last week. Picture: Howard Crowdy
The inquests into the deaths of two men at an Ironman triathlon event in Co Cork last year have been opened and adjourned by the Cork South Coroner Frank O’Connell. The hearing took place at Midleton Courthouse.
The two deceased men, Brendan Wall, 45 originally from Cardrath, Co Meath and Ivan Chittenden, 64, from Brantford near Toronto, Canada both died while taking part in the Ironman triathlon event in Youghal, Co Cork on August 20, 2023.
Mr O’Connell said that the main purpose of the hearing was to gather sufficient evidence so that the families of the deceased would be able to their deaths.
Mr Wall’s parents, brothers and fiancée were present at the hearing as were family of Mr Chittenden. Mr O’Connell said that with the deaths occurring almost a year ago he thought it was appropriate to hold the short hearing now. He told the families that it was not his intention to go into any detail about the what happened on August 20 last year but simply to identify the deceased formally and give an official cause of death.
Legal representatives for Ironman and Triathlon Ireland were also present at the hearing. Mr O’Connell said that the two organisations had been informed “out of courtesy” but noted that the inquests would not be concerned with any controversies about the organisation of the event or “who said what to whom.”
He said that some “oblique reference” to those matters that had caused some controversy would be inevitable but the inquests would focus on when, where and how the deaths occurred.
Giving evidence Garda Sean Killigrew said that he was on duty at Youghal Garda Station on the morning of August 20, last year. He said that he received a call to attend the Ironman event where there had been two fatalities. He arrived at the event medical centre at Market Square at 9.25am where both of the deceased had been placed in private cubicles.
He said that Mr Wall had been pronounced dead at 9.18 am following almost an hour of resuscitation efforts, he was unresponsive when he was taken from the water in the Green Hole area of Youghal. Mr Wall was identified by his fiancée. He said that Mr Chittenden was removed from the water in the Lighthouse area of Youghal and was pronounced dead at 9.09am. He was identified by Dr Meabh Hyland a family friend who knew Mr Chittenden.
Garda Killigrew said that he formally identified both of the deceased to Sean Lynch at the mortuary at Cork University Hospital (CUH) at 5.15pm. He said that the following day he took statements from RNLI volunteers who were present at the Ironman event as well as another witness, Sean White.
State Pathologist Margaret Bolster gave evidence of post-mortems she carried out on the deceased men at CUH on August 21. She said that both of the deceased had died from acute cardiorespiratory failure due to drowning. In the case of Mr Chittenden she said that he had also sustained a “mild blunt force trauma” to the left temporal area of his head which had caused significant bruising.
She said there was no evidence of brain trauma and no skull fractures but the bruising indicated that his blood was still circulating when he sustained the injury. She said it was possible that the blow could have temporarily diminished his awareness.
Senior Counsel Jane Hyland representing Ironman extended sympathies to the families on behalf of the organisation and solicitor Michael Corrigan representing Triathlon Ireland also offered sympathies to the bereaved.
Mr O’Connell offered his sympathy also and said that he was not yet in a position to give a date for when the full inquests would take place but hoped to be able to do so soon. He adjourned the inquests until September 24 for mention when he said he hoped he would be able to give a date for when the full hearings would take place.
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