A 55-year-old man who died after he went to rescue six people who got into difficulty in dangerous sea conditions in east Cork has been described as a hero at the inquest into his death.
Stephen O'Callaghan, of Ashburton Hill, Montenotte, Cork, died at Inch Beach near Midleton in August 2024.
His inquest was told that a number of others might have died were it not for his bravery.
On Friday, 23 August 2024, he was on Inch Beach when a group of children and some of their parents got into difficulty in the water.
The waves there were described as choppy and, although it was a bright sunny day, it was windy.
Mr O'Callaghan responded to calls for help with others.
The children and their parents were rescued from being swept away by rip currents, but after they were rescued, Mr O'Callaghan was discovered to be missing.
His body was recovered by members of the Coast Guard and he was later pronounced dead.
At his inquest this morning, his actions were described as brave and heroic.
He died of acute respiratory failure due to drowning when he was swept away after rescuing one of the children.
All six people who had been in difficulty were safely returned to the beach uninjured.
Recording a verdict of accidental death, Coroner Frank O'Conell said it had to be recognised that he was a hero who had saved lives.
'Absolute disaster'
Speaking afterwards, Mr O'Callaghan's brother Keith, who was in the water with him at the time, described it as a pleasant day which suddenly went into chaos.
"It was an absolute disaster, but it happened," Keith O'Callaghan said.
"Everybody did what they were supposed to do on the day and, unfortunately, I lost my brother because of it."
He said he had tried his best to save his brother, but conditions "just became too much".
Another brother, Emmet O'Callaghan, said it had not been the first time that Mr O’Callaghan had rescued children from the water.
"The incident on the day summed him up quite succinctly. He was the type of person who always helped people," he said.
