A profound and bewildering tale was recounted by an individual, Cormac Rowland, about an unbelievable phone call he received from his father. His father, 69 year-old Patrick Rowland, phoned him from outside the hospital, pleading to be taken home. The phone call came in at 1:44 am on the 17th of January, 2023, merely half an hour after the education professional had left his father’s hospital bedside, as an inquest into the elder Mr Rowland’s demise reported on Tuesday.
These unusual events are currently under investigation to delve into the details of Patrick Rowland’s unfortunate passing. The elderly Mr Rowland was a retired procurement manager who was admitted to Mayo University Hospital, Castlebar, via ambulance early morning on the 15th of January, 2023. His medical diagnosis included pneumonia and he was given treatment for sepsis as well.
Cormac recalled that before leaving the hospital, he made some adjustments to his father’s oxygen mask and bade him a goodnight. He was relieved at the fact that his father was finally given a bed in the ward after days of discomfort on a trolley. Cormac said to the inquest in the Swinford Courthouse, led by Patrick O’Connor, the Coroner for the District of Mayo, “For the first time in 43 hours I felt he [father] was in a safe place.”
Feeling more at ease than he had in the previous 43 hours, he went home and shared his feelings with his wife, Marcella. However, only shortly after reaching home, he received the surprising phone call from his father. He promptly left his home to pick up his father from the TF Royal Hotel in Castlebar. Arriving at the location, there was no trace of his father. The missing person incident instigated a widespread search effort, involving local police, the coastguard, family members, civilians, and even a search and rescue helicopter.
Sadly, two days later, on 19th January 2023, the body of the deceased Patrick Rowland was discovered in the Castlebar River, a few miles down from where he supposedly entered the water. Patrick, a resident of Lahardane, Ballina, was known for his active role in local community activities and his unwavering support for his local GAA club, in addition to being a devout fan of the Mayo football team.
Cormac, Mr Rowland’s son, revealed to the Rowland family’s legal representative, Roger Murray, that his father, an upright and honest individual, had displayed no signs of wanting to hurt himself. The elder Mr Rowland had climbed the ranks to become a procurement manager at an international firm based locally.
Officer Padraig O’Connor of the Garda stated that their investigation into Mr Rowland’s disappearance centred on the river bank behind the County Cleaners in Market Square, due to a slipper, belonging to the deceased, found there.
Officer O’Connor testified that CCTV footage marked Mr Rowland’s presence at several points, such as Main Street and Market Square. From where the slipper was discovered, Officer O’Connor pointed out a sizeable drop of roughly 20-25ft into the water body.
The inquiry is still ongoing.