A verdict of death by drowning and 'misadventure' has been returned at an inquest into the death of a Co Waterford teenager last year.
The body of Jamie Ducey, 18, from Abbeyside in Dungarvan was found in a stream near the Sea Park housing estate in the town shortly after midnight on 15 May 2014.
His body was found minutes after an incident in which a garda superintendent was struck on the head with a bottle by another person.
The inquest into Jamie’s death heard he had three times the legal driving limit of alcohol in his blood at the time of his death.
Coroner Dr Eoin Maughan said: "The unintended consequence is that he ended up in the water. Whether it was due to slipping or as a result of alcohol being involved, isn't quite possible to say."
On the night Jamie died, Gda Supt Michael Leacy said he was at home in bed when he heard loud voices outside his house in Sea Park before a bottle was thrown at his front door.
He said he saw Jamie Ducey, who he described as being "aggressive", along with another person. The superintendent said he was struck on the head from behind by the "other youth" who then ran way.
Jamie’s friend, Dylan McGovern, said they had started throwing bottles at random houses in the Sea Park Estate and that after the incident with Supt Leacy they both ran way.
He said when they realised no-one was behind them they started walking, but began to run again when they saw a garda van.
Mr McGovern said they ran towards a concrete pipe, which was used to cross a stream between Sea Park and another estate. He said he last saw Jamie climbing over a fence into a back garden.
"I was not aware Jamie had fallen into the river," he said.
Garda Aidan McCarthy said he saw Supt Leacy "bleeding heavily from his head" after he was called to a disturbance at the Sea Park estate.
He was in the garda van and saw "two men" in the Sallybrook estate. "When they saw us they started running."
He and his colleague got out of the van and shouted at the pair to stop, but they kept going.
He said he then saw, what he first thought was a plastic bag in the stream, but then realised it was body lying face down in the water.
Lisa Jones, Jamie's mother, said in her deposition to the inquest that Jamie was the eldest of her three children and had just turned 18 and moved back with her after living elsewhere for a short time.
On the night he died, he called her at about 10.40pm to say he was "drinking a few bottles" and would be back later.
"I said to him, 'take care'. That was the last think I said to him. He was a good young fella, he had a heart of gold and was a big softie. Jamie didn't deserve this at all. He is sorely missed by us all."
Assistant state pathologist Dr Michael Curtis told the inquest his findings were consistent with death by drowning. There was no evidence of assault or restraint.
After the inquest, Jamie's father Michael Ducey said Jamie was "a lovely guy, a gentle soul, loved his soccer, loved his music. Just a lovely all-round lad".
He said: "There's not much for the young fellas these days, that's why they end up doing the things that they do. They should look after themselves. Things can happen out of nothing."
