A coroner has recorded a verdict of accidental death in the case of a Black Valley woman who fell into a river while attempting to rescue a sheep.
Mary Tangney, of Gerahmeen, Black Valley, Beaufort, died on 1 December 2023, aged 70.
An inquest into her death took place earlier today at Tralee Courthouse.
Coroner Aisling Quilter heard that Mrs Tangney had returned home after shopping in Killarney.
Noticing a dog missing from the farmyard, and concerned it might chase sheep, she went to look for it.
Shortly after 10:30am, her son Donnacha found her car pulled over at the roadside.
The engine was still running, the driver’s door was open, and the missing dog was sitting in the passenger seat.
He then saw Mrs Tangney’s body floating face down in the river.
As he didn't have his phone with him, he attempted to use a stick to pull her to the riverbank but was unsuccessful, as she was wearing wellington boots and heavy clothing.
He returned to the farmyard to raise the alarm.
Another son, Eugene Tangney Jnr, an advanced paramedic with the National Ambulance Service, arrived and co-ordinated the rescue effort until other paramedics, including the air ambulance team, arrived.
Mrs Tangney was pronounced dead at 11:42am.
The next day, her husband Eugene Snr found a sheep which had drowned in the river.
Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster carried out a post-mortem examination at University Hospital Kerry.
She found that Mrs Tangney had severe coronary artery disease and no water in her lungs.
Coroner Aisling Quilter determined that Mrs Tangney had died of cardiac arrest due to dilated ischemic cardiomyopathy following immersion in water.
She believes that Mrs Tangney had a heart attach after slipping or falling into the cold river while trying to rescue the sheep.
Family members described her as a passionate and hardworking woman who always put animals before herself.
Coroner Quilter extended her sympathies to the family, while Sgt Aoife Dolan offered condolences on behalf of An Garda Síochána.
Following her death, the Health and Safety Authority conducted an investigation, as the incident occurred on a farm, and concluded it was not work-related.
