Western People
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Western People |
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NEWS |
29th October, 1997 - Western People |
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DIVER AND BOATMAN DIE AS THREE RESCUED FROM BELDERRIG CAVE Boat trip that went tragically wrong COMMUNITIES in Belderrig and Ballina in North Mayo are today trying to come to terms with the tragic loss of two lives arising out of a boating trip from Belderrig harbour that went terribly wrong on Saturday. German native Will Ernst Von Below (53), a retired businessman who has been living in the area for a number of years and who has been a community activist on several fronts, took three members of a local family on a sightseeing trip in his currach on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. when the sea was calm. The alarm was raised before 6 p.m. that evening when they had not returned and the emergency rescue network was called out. Before the nightmare was fully realised two had lost their lives, Mr Von Below (known locally as Mr Murt Martensen), and Mr Michael Heffernan (38) of Carrowkelly, Ballina, a member of the voluntary Grainne Uaile Sub Aqua club in Ballina, who had been called out with colleagues to aid in the rescue mission. He was an experienced diver and was a founder member of the club. He worked at the Asahi plant in Killala which is to close in December. By Terry Reilly, at Belderrig Harbour Ironically, he had originally planned to travel to Malta with colleagues from the Sub Aqua club on a diving expedition, but had forgone the trip to be at home with his wife, Annmarie (nee Armstrong), who is expecting the couple's second child. His colleagues in Malta were alerted of the tragic news on Sunday and immediately made plans to travel back to Ballina. A colleague of Mr Heffernan's, Josie Barrett, was beaten back by the waves as they made their way to the cave at Horse Island from a boat, about one mile off the shore. Mr Martensen had taken members of the local family, Tony Murphy, his wife, Carmel, and their daughter Eimear (13) out in his new 16ft currach for a pleasure trip and to take some photographs of the caves at Horse Island, when the boat got gripped in the powerful surge and was pulled towards the cliffs which local fishermen regard as treacherous. It is understood that Mr Martensen died almost immediately after being thrown from the boat, but the Murphy family were washed into the cave at the bottom of the cliffs where they were trapped by the high water level which at times gushed over the mouth of the opening. When the alarm was sounded after they failed to return local fishermen, who had commenced the search, located the family when they heard voices and whistling around 9 p.m. on Saturday night. Supt Tony McNamara, who is stationed in Belmullet, and who is also cox of the Ballyglass Liefeboat, called for the help of the Garda Sub Aqua unit in Dublin when it became clear the specialist help was required. The team was flown by helicopter to the scene. Mr Heffernan and a colleague, who reached the scene first, made an effort to reach the stranded family, but he was hurled against rocks by the powerful sea and died in the cave. The search operation was assisted by a helicopter training its powerful lights on the scene. The five-member Garda Sub Aqua team examined the scene and Gardai frogmen Ciaran Doyle, Dave Mulhall and Sean O'Connell were eventually able to rescue the trapped family and get them out of the cave, which was pitch black inside, through the inflatable boat on which they had to be towed from the cave almost capsized three of four times on the way out. The family was immediately transferred to Sligo General Hospital, across the bay, suffering with hypothermia, and were later reported to be comfortable after their horrific 17 hours ordeal. They had kept their spirits up in a crevice towards the back of the cave where Mr Murphy had built a wall from loose stone to keep off the wind and the spray. The garda divers described the conditions as the worst they had ever experienced. "They were horrendous, atrocious," said Garda frogman Mulhall. Meanwhile hundreds of locals waited on at the harbour throughout the evening and into the night as word filtered through as to what was happening at Horse Island. The Murphy family, who had all been wearing lifejackets, were taken from the cave in the early hours of Sunday morning, and later, when the tide went down and conditions abated, the bodies of Mr Below and Mr Heffernan were retrieved from the cave by the Garda Sub Aqua club and transferred to the Ballglass Lifeboat which returned to the Harbour just before 1 p.m. on Sunday. Local parish priest Fr Sean Killeen, said at one stage it was hoped that all would be rescued. And then came the terrible price that we had to pay-the loss of two people's lives. *See also page 27.
Dead diver's bravery praised People at the scene praised the courage of Mr Heffernan in trying to rescue the Murphy family trapped in the cave. "What he did was a truly brave act. He did not think of himself, only what he could do for those trapped in the cave," said a member of the rescue personnel at the scene. Mr Heffernan's brother, Nial, also died in tragic circumstances almost a year ago in an accident in his home. The Ballina community has been numbed by the latest tragedy to befall this well-known and highly respected family. |
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NEWS |
29th October, 1997 - Western People |
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Monitoring concern at Asahi as talks with Turks continue A twelve week examination by inspectors of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the Asahi chemical plant at Killala has given a relatively clean bill of health to the company. However the issue of a new licence for the 420 acre site on which twenty years of industrial waste has been stored has still to be finalised. It is understood that Asahi have objected to the terms of the licence because it contains a clause which would enable the EPA to continue further monitoring of the waste at the site. When a management buyout of the operation was mooted earlier this year concerns were expressed about possible adverse effects to the local environment because of the disposal of acrylonitrile waste within the site. To a very large extent the EPA inspection has concluded that the disposal of toxic materials has been properly handled. However there is a concern about acid contamination of water under the landfill site. By Christy Loftus The fear is that there might be "a significant migration" through seepage from the waste dump leading to contamination of wells outside of the Asahi owned property. The EPA, which is officially responsible for policing good environmental practice, is understood to be determined to maintain the monitoring operation. The issue of the new license is one of immediate concern as delicate negotiations are underway with at least two prospective purchasers of the operation talking to Asahi management and the IDA. A company from Pakistan and a Turkish group have expressed an interest and a meeting was held last week between top IDA (Ireland) officials, Asahi management and representatives of the Turkish principals. The Director of the EPA would not comment on the findings of the investigation of the site other than to say the Agency was anxious to finalise the matter. "We issued a proposed determination- in effect a draft licence. That is the subject of an objection by the company which the EPA will decide shortly," said Mr. Ian McClean. "We are anxious to have the matter finalised as we would then have a licence in place which would give us full responsibility for the environment of the site." |
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NEWS |
29th October, 1997 - Western People |
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Legendary Willie Joe seeks chairmanship of Mayo GAA Board THE LEGENDARY Willie Joe Padden has signalled that he will be a candidate for the vacant position of Mayo County Board Chairman. EXCLUSIVE: BY VINCENT GRIBBIN Willie Joe, voted best Mayo player in living memory by listeners of Mid-West Radio, and a member of the Western People Best Mayo Team, 1960-1990, informed the Western People of his decision last night (Monday). "I have been contacted by a number of clubs wanting to know if I was interested. I have considered it and decided to let my name go forward," said Willie Joe, who will be nominated by his club, Belmullet. Willie Joe, who runs a pub on Castlebar,s Main Street, said football had always formed an important part of his life. "I believe it is time for a new and young face at administrative level," he commented. Rated by many as one of the best players to never win an All-Ireland senior medal, Willie Joe first appeared in the Mayo colours as a minor in 1975 when his rugged strength and amazing fielding ability marked him as player out of the ordinary. His Mayo senior career spanned 15 years and he is particularly remembered for his display in the county's win against Tyrone in an All-Ireland semi-final in 1989 when he sustained a severe cut to the head but returned to the fray with his jersey covered in blood. He is the holder of five Connacht senior and minor and Under-21 medals. Willie Joe's decision to enter the race to succeed Noel Forde brings the number of candidates in the field so far to five. P.J. McGrath (Claremorris) and Paddy Naughton (Knockmore) were both early candidates and they have been joined by Padden, Billy Heffron (Moygownagh) and Hugh Rudden (Ballyhaunis). Billy Heffron told the Western People he was running in the hope that his experience could prove helpful in bringing the Sam Maguire Cup back to Mayo. . . . See page 1 |
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NEWS |
29th October, 1997 - Western People |
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Achill man dies in wall fall A young Achill man was killed on Sunday last when a wall collapsed on a trench in which he was working at Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow. He was Tommy Padden (23) of Pollagh. He was working with two colleagues at the time who received minor injuries. He is survived by his wife, Denise; children Tommy and Dylan; parents Tommy and Mary; sister Fiona Scanlon; parents-in-law, Hugo and Ellen Boyle, Shraheens; nephew and other relatives. |
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NEWS |
29th October, 1997 - Western People |
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Ballina murder charge remand To appear again today (Tues.) At a special sitting of Ballina Court last Tuesday, Dean
William Richardson (21), of 33 Greenhills Estate, Ballina,
was charged that between 2 a.m. on Friday, 17 October and
10. 30 a.m. on Saturday,18 October, 1997 at
Abbeyhalfquarter, Ballina, he did murder one Gillian
Thornton. |