A past commodore of Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club, John Wedick, tragically lost his life by drowning after slipping into the River Liffey while trying to embark on a boat at the club’s marina, as per an inquest. The unfortunate accident happened after an evening of festivity at the club’s marina.
Mr Wedick, aged 78, hailing from Camolin, Co Wexford, was marking the 50th anniversary of the yacht club at their Ringsend clubhouse on 18th November 2023 shortly before the mishap. His body was found floating near the marina the next morning.
John Wedick Jnr, his son, stated at a session of Dublin District Coroner’s Court on the following Tuesday that his father was hale and hearty before his untimely demise, and was eager for the anniversary event. He communicated to the court that his father, a devoted member who spent his childhood locally, had excellent knowledge of the surroundings.
The son further shared that after the jubilations, his father intended to spend the night on his boat, anchored at the marina behind the clubhouse. He believed his father slipped and fell while trying to get onto the boat, sometime between 12.30 am and 1 am after he left the party.
A Garda named Paul Fay from Donnybrook Garda station corroborated having studied CCTV footage of the moments leading up to when Mr Wedick ended up in the water. According to him, the footage portrayed Mr Wedick vacating the event and proceeding towards the marina at the back of the clubhouse. The footage then depicted him treading the pontoon of the marina towards his son’s boat. Mr Fay specified that though the footage blurred from there and Mr Wedick’s fall wasn’t visible, his body was perceived in the water subsequently.
In the video footage, Gda Fay testified Mr Wedick appeared steady, not showing signs of severe intoxication. A post-mortem examination revealed a moderate amount of alcohol in his bloodstream, according to the court testimony. Notably, coroner Dr Clare Keane affirmed the level of intoxication wasn’t extremely high.
Gda Fay detailed that the boats in the marina were neatly aligned next to each other and the weather was dry on the fateful night. No one was around when Mr Wedick had his fall, the officer reported.
It was noted in court that Mr Wedick was dressed elegantly on that occasion as it was a black-tie anniversary event and he hadn’t worn the standard shoes one typically wears on a pontoon.
“The circumstances suggest a regrettable accident,” said the officer.
The morning after the incident, a body was sighted floating in the marina waters, sounding alarm bells after 8am. Gardaí and Dublin Fire Brigade responded to this situation and later retrieved the body.
In her conclusion, Dr Keane categorised the cause of death as accidental and shared her condolences with Mr Wedick’s family, noting the sudden and surprising nature of his death.