Anne Winterlich, the mother of Aoife Winterlich who tragically lost her life more than eight years ago when she was dragged out to sea at Hook Head, Co Wexford, has settled her lawsuit against Scouting Ireland. Aoife, who hailed from Walkinstown, Dublin, was only 14 when she met with the unfortunate incident. She passed away in hospital five days after being caught up in strong waves on December 6th, 2015. The scouting leaders had taken an unplanned decision to halt their journey at Hook Head lighthouse during Storm Desmond.
Anne Winterlich, who made a public appearance outside the Four Courts on Tuesday, expressed strong disapproval of Scouting Ireland for not acknowledging their responsibility for eight years in regard to the unfortunate incident. She said, alongside her adult sons Martin, Jack and Craig, “We have been trying for eight years to get Scouting Ireland to be held accountable. And finally, after all this time, they now admit full liability”. She also exclaimed that the emotional distress her family has endured due to negligence of Scouting Ireland in fulfilling their duty of care has been overwhelming.
The Dublin Civil Circuit Court heard the lawsuit taken up by Ms Winterlich against Scouting Ireland, which accepted full responsibility for the young girl’s death only this week. The court confirmed that a settlement was reached for over €54,000. Judge Christopher Callan noted the immense sorrow of the Winterlich family and critiqued Scouting Ireland for its delay in accepting liability, remarking that it typically “acted as a great organisation” for a multitude of children.
Finbarr Fox, the representative for Ms Winterlich, along with his legal consultant Eimear Lyons, explained to the court that Aoife’s death was the result of an impromptu decision by the scout leaders to make an unplanned stop at Hook Head during their group outing. Allegedly, the teenagers were left to their own devices without appropriate supervision. Some of them, including Aoife, ventured to the shoreline, leading to a horrific incident in which Aoife was swept out to sea. Remarkably, she was the only casualty claimed by the waves that day.
Mr Fox fervently reproached Scouting Ireland for staunchly defending their stand on the occurrence until the current week. He expressed that the reason behind the eight-year duration it took the association to recognise their liability was “arduous to comprehend.” He mentioned that the whole episode, which elongated over a considerable time, generated “considerable distress” for the family.
Judge Callan identified the case as an “incredibly tragic incident” for the Winterlich family, which was accentuated by the subsequent death of Aoife’s father. He expressed his hope that the settlement might provide solace to the Winterlich family. Nevertheless, he pointed out that the loss of Aoife would probably “forever haunt them” and was a “massive load” for them to bear.
Conversing with journalists outside the Four Courts, Ms Winterlich claimed that it was arduous to come to terms with the notion that her girl’s untimely death was “totally avoidable.” She expressed her angst that Aoife’s promising potential was “abruptly cut short” due to a choice made by Scouting Ireland in December 2015 and she was “horrified” that it took the organisation an extended period to accept their fault.
Ms Winterlich stated, “I permitted Aoife to accompany her scout team to a hostel in Waterford. On their return journey, the scout leaders opted for an unapproved detour at Hook Head in Wexford, with no parental consent. It happened amidst Storm Desmond, which resulted in harsh winds and gusts of 80mph.”
She added, “The kids were left unattended for a significant duration, which led to my beloved daughter being dragged into the sea by the wild waves. It’s unthinkable to leave a group of 14-year-olds alone at Hook Head during a storm.”
“When there was such apparent negligence, we deem it unacceptable that there was no obligatory inquest into the incidents preceding Aoife being dragged into the sea,” Winterlich emphasised.
Ms Winterlich portrayed her child as “compassionate, thoughtful and vibrant.” Aoife’s radiant smile and contagious laugh “spread happiness among everyone around her”. She further said, “She was an excellent daughter, a splendid sibling and a fantastic friend. Someone who could make you grin under any circumstances.”