An Taisce says it is confident Kerry County Council will implement appropriate public safety control measures at a Blue Flag beach where two people drowned last summer.
The bodies of 51-year-old Dessie Byrne from Athlone, and his 62-year-old sister Muriel Eriksson were recovered from the water at Ballybunion South beach, known locally as the Men’s Beach, last August.
An inquest into their deaths heard that they died by accidental drowning, after they were swept out by a rip current.
The inquest heard evidence that the lifeguards were down staff on the day that the siblings drowned.
In a statement issued to Radio Kerry, the council has stated that four lifeguards were on duty that day as had been scheduled.
Coroner Helen Lucey also recommended, on foot of the inquest, that extra lifeguards be employed to patrol both beaches during the summer, and also that oral warnings be issued to swimmers about rip currents.
Kerry County Council has told Radio Kerry an extra lifeguard will be employed in Ballybunion for the summer season, in response to an assessment of Blue Flag beaches carried out by Water Safety Ireland.
The beach was also awarded a Blue Flag for this bathing season, an initiative judged on specific criteria related to water quality, information provision, environmental education, safety and site management.
One of these criteria is that an adequate number of lifeguards and/or lifesaving equipment must be available at the beach.
Criteria also include that there must be management of beach users and events to prevent conflicts and accidents, and there must be safety measures in place to protect beach users.
Responding to queries from Radio Kerry, An Taisce, which is the body that awards Blue Flags, says it is aware of the drowning incident at Ballybunion South beach last summer.
It says it is aware from media coverage that the inquest report recommended among other measures an increase in lifeguard numbers, but it has not had access to the coroner’s report on the incident.
An Taisce says it’s confident that Kerry County Council will implement appropriate public safety control measures at the beach for the coming bathing season, in line with the Blue Flag award criteria.
