Teen who drowned at Dublin beach left regular spot because water was ‘too shallow'
Luke McAuliffe (19) died last year after getting into difficulty whilst swimming in Balbriggan.
A young Louth man drowned last year on his first time swimming in Balbriggan, Co Dublin, after he switched from his regular bathing place in nearby Malahide because the water was 'too shallow,' an inquest has heard.
A sitting of Dublin District Coroner Court heardwastold the body of Luke McAuliffe (19), of Loughanmore, Gyles Quay, Dundalk, Co Louth, was removed from the water by an Irish Coast Guard search team north of Balbriggan on April 30, 2024.
The deceased's father, Alan McAuliffe, said he had contacted gardaí after becoming concerned when his son did not turn up at Dundalk railway station where he had arranged to meet him that evening.
Mr McAuliffe said he originally thought his son had missed his train or fallen asleep on it when he did not arrive on the scheduled service.
However, he became worried when another train came and went without any sign of him.
Mr McAuliffe contacted gardaí in Balbriggan after he was able to trace his son's location to the town from his Snapchat account.
He told the inquest that gardaí informed him that a body matching his son's description had been found near the Martello tower to the north of Balbriggan.
In reply to questions from coroner Clare Keane, the witness said his son had previously been going swimming for a couple of weeks in Malahide on his own.
However, Mr McAuliffe said his son did not like swimming in Malahide because the water was 'too shallow'.
He believed his son may have gone swimming in Balbriggan because the gym in the town which he sometimes attended was small and might have been too busy.
He described his son as 'a fair swimmer' who had 'no fear of water' and would jump into the sea on the spur of a moment by stripping down to his boxer shorts.
Mr McAuliffe said Luke was a typical 19-year-old who was full of life who was 'absolutely loving' working as an apprentice electrician.
At the time of his death, the deceased was attending training college near Howth Junction in north Dublin.
Mr McAuliffe said he was unaware of any struggles in his son's life and noted he had a girlfriend, and was planning a holiday and his future.
Luke McAuliffe (19) died last year after getting into difficulty whilst swimming in Balbriggan.
News in 90 Seconds - June 24th
Another witness, Gerard McKenzie, told the hearing that he was concerned about seeing a swimmer in the water near the lighthouse at Balbriggan Harbour.
Mr McKenzie said he was a regular swimmer, although not in Balbriggan, and he would not have gone bathing at the location because it was windy and the water was 'choppy' with large waves that were 'very high' where Mr McAuliffe was.
He recalled that there was nobody else swimming in the area on the day.
Mr McKenzie said only the swimmer's head was visible in the water when he first noticed him but then saw him lying on his back with his arms out when he appeared 'tranquil'.
He said he relaxed at that point as the swimmer was alive and seemed to be enjoying the water.
However, Mr McAuliffe said alarm bells rang automatically with him a short time later when he had moved towards the beach in Balbriggan and could no longer see the swimmer.
The inquest was told he rang the emergency services after he found clothes on the pier in Balbriggan Harbour but there was no identification material with them.
Luke McAuliffe (19) died last year after getting into difficulty whilst swimming in Balbriggan.
Garda Ciara MacPhee gave evidence that a body was located in the water at 7.20pm.
Garda MacPhee said a jacket with a phone and wallet was recovered from the sea further up the coast at Bell's Beach. They were subsequently identified as belonging to the deceased.
She told the coroner that where Mr McAuliffe had been swimming was not an unusual location in Balbriggan to find swimmers.
However, she said there would have been a current on the day and there was a breeze which had made the waters choppy.
Noting that a post-mortem had confirmed that Mr McAuliffe had died as a result of drowning with no alcohol or drugs in his body, Dr Keane recorded a verdict of accidental death.
Offering her condolences to relatives of the deceased, the coroner said she could only imagine their 'absolute shock' at Luke's death.
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