Widow tells of tragic scene in quarry lake

Widow tells of tragic scene in quarry lake

14 August 2013

THE widow of a man who tried to save a teenager in a quarry drowning accident has spoken of her heartbreaking decision to abandon her husband in

the water.

At Belfast Coroner’s Court yesterday Adele Polland said she realised she could not reach her husband, who was underneath the water at Paul’s Quarry, when she swam out to help him.

Colin Polland (39) and Kevin O’Hare (15) died on the afternoon of June 1. Kevin had been swimming in the quarry outside Newcastle with his brother

Liam and a cousin, Philip McGrillen, when he got into trouble. Mr. Polland, who was nearby, jumped in to try to to save him.

In evidence at yesterday’s inquest into their deaths, Mrs. Polland said: “I could not dive. I made a quick and hard decision that I did not want my children to lose both their parents.”

Mrs. Polland, who lived with her husband and children in England, said they had been visiting family in Newcastle at the time of the tragedy. That afternoon they had been visiting a cottage they owned next to the quarry.

She recalled hearing someone shout “hysterically” about Kevin. That person was Kevin’s brother Liam so Mrs. Polland sent him back to the house and went to get a rope. Her husband jumped into the water in a bid to rescue Kevin.

When Mrs. Polland returned she too got into the water before realising she would be unable to help.

Mrs. Polland said she had seen other people swimming in the quarry but said the area could generally only be accessed by a 4x4 vehicle. It also emerged warning signs had been vandalised at the site.

Liam O’Hare, who raised the alarm, said Kevin was just a “few metres” into the quarry when he got into trouble.

“He was going under the water.... he seemed to be trying to get a breath,” he said.

Philip McGrillen (24) told the court he swam out to Kevin when he realised he was in trouble but could not get hold of him.

He said: “He was thrashing about with his arms... I went back to the edge for breath and saw Colin Polland approaching...I swam out to the man Colin Polland, I said ‘Where’s Kevin?’ The man was really struggling, he was gasping for air.”

Given the opportunity to ask questions, Kevin O’Hare’s mother Donna O’Hare made it clear she had not given permission for Kevin to be taken to the quarry that day.

Kevin’s father Eugene O’Hare told the inquest that as far as he was aware Kevin hadn’t been swimming in the quarry before. He said the teenager could swim but would not have been “overly strong”.

He said Kevin had been working with cattle earlier in the day when Philip and Liam, to whom he was “very close”, called for him to head out.

“He gave his mum a kiss and a cuddle and said he was going to Newcastle,” he said. “That was the last time I saw him.”

Describing his son as a hard working and popular sportsman who “made an impact on everyone he came in contact with”, Mr. O’Hare suggested such quarries should be filled in to prevent future tragedies.

Questioned about the impact of very cold water on such deaths, pathologist Dr. Alistair Bentley said he was aware people could be incapacitated “fairly quickly”.

The coroner asked him: “Very, very quickly the ability of both men to swim became very much impaired?”

Dr. Bentley replied: “Yes that is my understanding.”

Mr. Leckey questioned how people went for Boxing Day swims in very cold water. The doctor replied that they may be experienced, expecting the cold water or conditioned to it.

After commending the bravery of two police officers who also jumped in to try to save the two men, Mr. Leckey went on to say he understood councils had responsibility for quarry safety. He said he would be writing to local authorities and the Department for the Environment on the issue.

After stating enquiries should also

be made into who owned the site, Mrs. Polland’s father told the court it was owned by one of his relatives. He said he understood there may be issues with environmentalists if the quarry was filled in.

Mrs. Polland said it was not her desire to see the quarry filled in and stressed the need for a public education campaign on the dangers.

Mr. Leckey said the quarry deaths had been well publicised and said the fact that the people had been seen swimming in the quarry since the tragedy caused concern.

“Memories are short and not everybody obeys warnings,” he said.

Mr. Leckey said he would keep the families informed of any response from the DOE and local authorities.