A man “died a hero” after rushing to help save six people who were struggling in a sudden rip current at Inch Beach in Co Cork, Cork County Coroner’s Court has heard.
A verdict of accidental death was recorded on Monday at the inquest into the death of Stephen O’Callaghan (55), of Ashburton Hill, Montenotte, Cork city.
O’Callaghan died of acute respiratory failure due to drowning after going to the aid of four children and two adults who got caught in the rip current at about 3pm on August 23rd, 2024.
O’Callaghan saved the life of a 10-year-old boy and his nephew, Eoghan O’Callaghan, managed to bring the boy’s eight-year-old brother to safety.
Two other children, both aged 10, and two women were helped to safety by members of a surf club and other locals.
A woman whose two boys were saved by O’Callaghan and his nephew said she met friends and their children at the beach on that day. The children had a surf lesson, went with their mothers to a sauna and later for a swim.
“I nor anyone of us were out of our depth,” the woman said. “The waves were choppy. It was a bright, sunny, windy day. The tide was a long way out. I was watching the kids.”
The woman said things changed suddenly and she knew they “were in trouble” because of the current.
She said Stephen O’Callaghan heard her shouting and came to help. She told him she was worried about her 10-year-old, who was the farthest away and crying.
“Stephen’s brave actions saved his life. I was tiring and could not see everything that was happening around me,” she said, adding that Eoghan O’Callaghan brought her eight-year-old to safety.
The woman told coroner Frank O’Connell that Stephen and Eoghan O’Callaghan were “heroic” and they would not have survived without their help.
“There is not a day goes by that I don’t think of Stephen and what happened that day. He will always be in my thoughts and prayers. I will be forever thankful to him,” she said.
The Irish Coast Guard, and then the emergency services, arrived and started a search for Stephen O’Callaghan soon afterwards. Garda Thomas Duane said Stephen was found face down in a gully, having been swept on to the rocks by a “very strong rip current”. He said CPR was administered but O’Callaghan was formally pronounced dead at 4.15pm.
Garda Thomas Duane with Stephen O’Callaghan’s brothers Emmet and Keith and father John outside Cork County Coroner’s Court in Midleton. Photograph: Olivia Kelleher
He said the actions of the deceased and others prevented an even more serious tragedy from happening. He confirmed to the coroner that warning signs in relation to rip currents are on display at the beach. He noted that when a rip current occurs “you feel you are standing on nothing”.
“People don’t understand how dangerous it is.”
A statement from Eoghan O’Callaghan was read in to evidence. He said his uncle Stephen was an “amazing person” who was “always ready to help anyone”.
Paddy Enright, who operates a sauna at the beach, said Stephen O’Callaghan “died a hero” having “sacrificed his life to help others”.
The coroner said multiple deaths could have occurred on the day. “It’s a terrible tragedy but it could have been a lot worse.”
Recording a verdict of accidental death, he said the quick thinking of Stephen O’Callaghan and others prevented an even greater tragedy from occurring.
“They were heroes who saved lives.”
Speaking after the inquest, Stephen’s father, John O’Callaghan, recalled his son saving two boys from the water in Rosscarbery on another occasion.
Emmet O’Callaghan said his brother Stephen was a person who instinctively went to the aid of others. He recalled an incident in Co Kerry where Stephen went into the sea to save a “couple of young people who were in trouble”.
The O’Callaghan family said Stephen loved his work as an Irish Customs official and also had a passion for music and mountain climbing.