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Two workers died tragically on Saturday following a catastrophic disaster on the River Shannon.
Another man miraculously managed to swim to safety and was taken to University Hospital Limerick following the accident.
The men were carrying out structural works to Thomond Bridge in Limerick City when a cable attached to a crane holding a cage they were standing in snapped.
The cage was quickly released from the crane and crashed into the river, trapping the men under the surface.
Tom Cusack, 33, who is a volunteer with Limerick Marine Search and Rescue Service, said: “We were alerted by the Coast Guard that there were three people in the water near Thomond Bridge.
“We were heading up towards the bridge when we spotted a man floating in the water with
his life jacket inflated.
“He told us he had managed to free himself from the cage, but there were two of his colleagues trapped in the cage under water.”
“We put him into the boat and we sped up to the bridge. When we arrived at the bridge the cage was submerged.
“We could see the two casualties clearly. They were submerged about two feet under the surface. The casualties were unresponsive.
“It was very unfortunate for those two men who lost their lives.”
A diver, who recovered one of the two deceased, said the life jackets the men were wearing had been clipped on to the cage and trapped them inside.
The rescuer, who did not want to be identified, said: “Their life jackets drowned them essentially. The very minute the life jackets hit the water they inflated.
“The lads were working out of a cage which was suspended out over the bridge. The cable snapped and catapulted the cage into the water.
“One man managed to clip off his safety jacket. The other two were trapped under the water.
“I cut one free and a driver with the fire service cut the other one free.
“We brought them to the surface and performed CPR at the scene because they went into cardiac arrest.
“Unfortunately, when the cage went into the water, the life jackets inflated and they were both brought to within two feet of the surface, but their lifejackets were clipped into the cage. They were short by just two feet. It’s terrible.”
A third man who had been in the cage at the time managed to free himself and swim to safety.
The incident sparked a major emergency operation involving the Shannon-based Coast Guard Rescue helicopter, Limerick City Fire Service and the Limerick Marine Search and Rescue Service.
A source said: “There were three men in a cage doing pointing work on the outside of Thomond Bridge. The cage snapped on a crane system and went into the water.
“They were all trapped in the cage under the water. One got free and was taken to hospital for observation. The other two men were not so fortunate.
“They were taken from the cage by divers from the Limerick Marine Search and Rescue Service and the swift water rescue swimmers from Limerick Fire Service. They were unconscious.”
One of the two is understood to have suffered a cardiac arrest before being brought to hospital.
Despite valiant efforts by paramedics to resuscitate the men at the scene, and later again at University Hospital Limerick, the men were pronounced dead at hospital shortly before 5pm yesterday.
A source added: “It’s really shocking. It’s such an unusual thing to have happened.
“It’s incredibly sad. I can’t imagine what these men’s families are going to be feeling.”
According to a source the three men were wearing life jackets and fall-arresting safety harnesses generally used in line rescues or by anyone working from dangerous heights.Gardai and the Health and Safety Authority are to conduct investigations into the incident. Remedial works started on the bridge last Monday and were scheduled to last for 10 weeks.
The job was sub-contracted by Limerick City and County Council to an as yet unknown firm.
A local authority source said: “These men were contract staff. They were specialist workers.
“The two men who have died were still harnessed into the cage under the water, so it looks like they couldn’t get out. It’s horrific.”
The scene at Thomond Bridge in Limerick
The search operation, which turned into a recovery operation, took 15 minutes before volunteers with the Limerick Marine Search and Rescue Service were stood down.
The accident caused shock in the city as the desperate attempts to save the men unfolded.
Mayor of Limerick city, Jerry O’Dea, offered his sympathies to the families of those who died in the tragedy.
He said: “It is a terrible incident. As mayor of the city, I must say this is the most horrific tragedy.
“These were men who were working on restoring a bridge which is the gateway into our city – a historic landmark – when they died.
“My heartfelt condolences go to those who are involved in this tragic incident.”
Local Sinn Fein councillor Maurice Quinlivan tweeted: “Terrible desperate news coming out of Limerick. Thoughts are with familes, friends, fellow workers and emergency services.”
Fine Gael councillor Michael Hourigan said the tragedy has put a “terrible cloud” over the whole community.
He told the Irish Sunday Mirror: “My deepest sympathies go the families of these two men. It’s terrible to think they died while doing a honest day of work.
“Incidents like this put a huge cloud over the whole community. It has an impact on everybody because it is so close to home.
“It is a terrible tragedy like this that brings home the danger of such work. This is a very sad incident for all those involved.”
Last night Limerick City and County Council released a statement.
It read: “It is with deep regret that Limerick City and County Council can confirm two employees of a firm contracted to undertake remedial works to Thomond Bridge in Limerick City have died in a workplace incident this afternoon.”
