A County Kildare man, who was holidays in Fermanagh, died after being struck by a metal cleat which came off another boat while it was being towed out of some reeds an inquest into the man's death has heard.

Sixty year old John Anthony Hurst, a self-employed builder / contractor from Parsonstown, Carbary, Co Kildare died on Saturday 7th July 2007 following a tragic accident which occurred when the boat he was on went to the aid of another cruiser, which had become stuck in the reeds, about ten minutes away from Carrybridge.

Delivering his verdict Senior Coroner Mr Leckey said; 'the deceased and his friends were on a cruiser close to Carrybridge when another cruiser got stuck in some reeds and they tried to help them.

"A rope was attached to the metal cleats on each both for the purposes of towing the boat out.

"However, a cleat came off (the boat which was struck) and struck the deceased. He died from his injuries."

The inquest heard that the deceased suffered neck and chest injuries and that death would have occurred fairly rapidly.

Coroner John Leckey asked that the issue of towing another boat using metal cleats and nylon rope be looked into in case there was a safety issue here that needs to be addressed and highlighted to other boat users, especially somewhere like Fermanagh where the majority of water users are tourists with little or no boating experience.

The inquest heard evidence from Constable Ryan Crozier who, on 7th July last, was sent to Carrybridge Boat Club marina following reports of an accident on a boat hired from Emerald Star.

Constable Crozier said, when he arrived, the ambulance service were working on the deceased but to no avail.

He described the metal cleat involved as 2 - 3 inches in size and said how it was screwed onto the boat with wooden packing underneath to support it.

In the Constable's view, when the pressure on the cleat became too great, in the effort of the other boat trying to tow the stricken boat out, it gave way.

The Coroner remarked that the deceased and his friends had been engaged in a 'Good Samaritan' act.

James Robinson gave evidence about how he went out on his boat, with some friends, on Saturday 7th July.

LUNCH

They went to the Moorings for lunch and, about 20 - 25 minutes after setting off from there, the witness saw some ducks ahead of them so he pulled the boat out of gear.

While out of gear the strong current brought the boat into some reeds where it became stuck.

He said he knew another boat would be along to assist them and, about twenty minutes later, a boat came from the direction of Carrybridge.

Mr Robinson said when the two boats were back to back he attached a rope to the cleat and then threw the rope to the boat.

He said he put the boat in stern gear and was looking forward to see when they started moving.

He looked around and saw the rope had become detached but he neither saw or heard this happen.

At this stage he hadn't noticed the cleat had detached.

He then saw a man lying on the deck of the other cruiser and saw people trying to resuscitate him.

A woman was shouting for someone to get medical help and the hired cruiser then headed off back in the direction of Carrybridge.

Mr Robinson honestly couldn't say who he threw the rope to.

Under questioning, Mr Robinson said he knows of no other way to tow a boat except by tying a rope around the cleats.

George McClean, who was also on Jimmy Robinson's boat, explained how Jimmy had turned off the engine so everyone could watch the ducks and, while the engine was off, the boat drifted into, and got stuck in, the reeds.

He threw a rope to the approaching boat and then, when the rope went loose, he realised the cleat had become loose.

Brendan McDonnell, a friend of the deceased, was on a cruiser hired from Emerald Star when they came across the stricken boat.

He said that Tony (the deceased) secured the rope to the cleat on their boat and Brendan told Tony to get out of the way in case the rope broke.

He described how Tony was on his hunkers at the time.

Sean Rafferty, also on the hired cruiser 'Woodford Star' saw Tony stand up at the precise moment the rope broke, at which point he fell over.

He felt there was a lot of strain on the nylon rope and said the cleat hit Tony on the chest. Mr Rafferty tried to resuscitate Tony.