A range of safety issues have been highlighted by a draft report into the death of Caitriona Lucas nearly two years ago.
Investigations are continuing into the death of the Doolin Coast Guard volunteer off Kilkee in September 2012, but details of one of those have now emerged
Caitriona Lucas died on September 12th, 2016 after she and two others were thrown into the waters off Kilkee when her Rigid Inflatible Boat capsized in choppy waters.
Two other Coast Guard volunteers who were also caught up in the incident were later rescued.
The three had been taking part in an operation at the time.
The incident is the subject of ongoing official investigations, including by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board, and a draft report from that group is reported on in today’s Irish Times.
According to the newspaper, it finds that the Irish Coast Guard did not have “an effective safety management system”, that the boat concerned was used outside of operational limits and that there were “critical deficiencies” with its navigation and communication equipment.
The paper also outlines how a series of recommendations from a similar but non-fatal incident in Dingle in 2014 had not been fully implemented.
The MCIB report also says the Irish Coast Guard has now employed a health and safety officer.
Its investigation, and that of the Health and Safety Authority, continue.
