The sudden demise of Michael Laffan (66), spouse of Limerick University’s Chancellor, Prof Brigid Laffan, occurred while bathing at Seapoint, Dún Laoghaire, in January 2022. The authorities later ruled that his death was caused by Covid. Mr Laffan, a retired businessman from Monkstown’s The Slopes in Dublin, led a healthy lifestyle, without any remarkable underlying health issues. He didn’t smoke, consumed alcohol in moderation, and was an everyday sea-swimmer.
On the 5th of January, at 12:10pm, he joined five others for a swim but encountered difficulties while returning to the entry point. His wife, Prof Laffan, who was also present at Seapoint, along with their son Diarmuid, reported it as abnormal when she witnessed her husband halt his swim in notably icy water. Upon resuming his swim, his movements became irregular, followed by another halt, and then he sank beneath the water, leaving only his safety buoy visible.
She expressed her confusion about the situation, stating that she wasn’t sure exactly what happened. Diarmuid confirmed at the inquest that his father was an almost daily swimmer and was not far from the changing area when he seemed to encounter problems. In response, he dove into the sea to aid his father.
Michael was situated a short distance from the approach road, and Diarmuid and another man managed to bring him back to dry land. At first, Michael’s body was found face down. When they turned him around, a noise resembling a death rattle was heard from him, leading his son to believe that his father had already passed away while in the water.
Promptly attended to by two doctors on site, Mr. Laffan tragically didn’t respond to initial attempts at revival. His son, Diarmuid, recalled expecting a swift recovery akin to what he’d seen on television, considering his father’s excellent health. However, his hopes were dashed as his father remained unresponsive.
The distressing incident prompted an emergency call to the ambulance service at 12:55 pm, and by 1pm, St Vincent’s Hospital was on alert, awaiting the patient’s arrival. Despite further attempts at treatment at the hospital, Mr. Laffan was officially declared dead at 2:42 pm.
The inquest shed light on the extreme sea temperatures of between 5 and 6 degrees Celsius on the fateful day – January 5. Mrs. Laffan, a Professor, recounted data from her husband’s watch, revealing he had performed 550 swimming strokes that day, a significant increase from his usual 350. She couldn’t fathom why he had chosen to swim further than four of his companions, who had turned back earlier.
Coroner Aisling Gannon, based in Dublin, clarified that there was no evidence of a heart attack prior to Mr. Laffan’s struggles in the water, but he had tested positive for Covid-19, unbeknownst to him and his family. She further explained that the precise impact of Covid-19 on a person’s physical endurance remains unclear. Despite swimming further than usual on that sad day, a man of Mr. Laffan’s fitness wouldn’t typically find the distance challenging. The presence of Covid-19 within his system, however, might have compromised his performance. She conjectured that hypothermia could have been a contributing, though not a direct, cause of his untimely demise.
She concluded her investigative report, declaring that Mr. Laffan had died of drowning, with Covid-19 playing a contributory role in his death. The grieving family extended their gratitude to all those who had tried to rescue Mr. Laffan. In the words of Prof. Laffan, “If it had been possible to save Michael, he would have been saved.”