On June 12th, 2013 Paul (49), Kenny (47) and Shane (44) Bolger who were all brothers and natives of Passage East of died. It has been found that the signalling device which should have sent a beacon to the emergency services when their vessel ran into trouble failed to go off.

Evidence found during the investigation by coroner Dr Eoin Maughan was that the EPIRB (electronic position indicating radio beacons) signalling device carried at all times by the boat was tested earlier in the year and found to be okay. The device was found three days after the tragedy, washed up on Tramore beach. The position of the button on the device suggested one of the brothers had tried to manually activate it. Subsequent testing found it to be “a dud,” Anthony Bolger told the inquest under questioning from Elaine Morgan BL, representing the family.

He agreed that it “didn’t do its job”. That particular model of EPIRB was later recalled by its Australian manufacturers, Standard Communications PTY Ltd, following a safety alert.

The jury returned a verdict of death by drowning in each case, and agreed with the coroner to return a verdict of “misadventure”. The coroner explained that misadventure was “the unintended outcome to an intended action,” in this case “the Bolger brothers intended to go fishing that day but didn’t intend to end up in the water and die because of that”. He described the event as “an unspeakable tragedy visited upon the Bolger family”.

The jury agreed to add a note to their verdict that EPIRB signalling devices which are required to be carried on all fishing vessels be periodically tested by the State. They also recommended State funding be obtained for the supply of personal locator beacons to all fishermen who go out in fishing vessels.

Sources: www.irishtimes.com, www.rte.ie