‘How many more people have to die?’ – calls for action after fourth Ballinamore canal death

“How many more people have to die?”

That is the question being raised locally following the death of 19-year-old Alan Creamer, as renewed calls are made for safety measures along the canal where four people have now lost their lives.

Local councillor Gary Prior says three of the four families who have lost loved ones in the canal have contacted him asking for action, while he intends to bring a motion before Leitrim County Council in September calling for safety measures to be put in place.

The calls come as the Leitrim Observer seeks information from Waterways Ireland about safety planning at the canal, including whether the area had been inspected, whether previous incidents or safety concerns had been considered, and whether measures such as lighting, barriers or signage had been discussed.

Mr Creamer, from Rooskeynamona, Mohill, died after being taken from the water at Kiltymoodan, Ballinamore, in the early hours of Sunday, August 16.

Gardaí attended following a report of a person in the water. The circumstances surrounding the death remain a matter for An Garda Síochána and the Coroner.

However, his death has again raised serious questions locally about safety along the canal and what measures, if any, have been introduced following previous fatalities.

“There have been four people who have died,” Cllr Prior told the Leitrim Observer.

“How many more people have to die before they make it safe?

“That is the biggest fear. We all have children. I have teenagers and I have teenagers coming up.

“People are asking the question: how many more times has this to happen to us?”

Cllr Prior said there is growing frustration in Ballinamore and that local people are no longer interested in arguments over which public body is responsible.

“They are really at the point now that they want to see action and safety measures put in place,” he said.

“They don’t care if it’s the Council or Waterways. They want to see it done, simple as.”

Three families seek action

Cllr Prior said three of the four families affected by previous deaths in the canal have now contacted him privately.

“Three of the four families have reached out to me privately, asking me that it’s time to get something done with it,” he said.

“Something has to be done with it.”

One of those previous deaths, he said, involved a friend of his own.

“One of the young men that died 23 years ago was a friend of my own. We were the same age and everything. So it was very personal as well.”

He said the latest tragedy has brought painful memories back for families who have previously lost loved ones.

“They can’t understand why nothing much at all has been done for years.”

‘It was frightening’

Cllr Prior visited the canal at approximately 10:30pm or 11pm on the night following Mr Creamer’s death to examine conditions there after dark.

He described what he saw as “frightening”.

“You wouldn’t literally see where the ground is. One step either side and you’re in the water.

“It’s very, very dangerous.”

He said vegetation along parts of the canal could also make the edge difficult to distinguish.

“The grass is all kind of growing up there. It’s deceiving. You could nearly think you were standing on the ground.”

He believes relatively straightforward measures could now make sections of the canal safer.

“I don’t think you’ll ever make it 100% safe with walls and that,” he said.

“But definitely where there’s open areas that you can walk in and poor lighting, they’re easy fixes. They’re something that should be attended to relatively easily.

“I do appreciate boats have to pull in and make it accessible, but there are ways around it too.

“We can’t have another loss of life.”

Waterways Ireland does not address questions

Leitrim County Council has told the Leitrim Observer that the canal is not owned or controlled by the local authority and identified it as a Waterways Ireland asset.

“The canal area is not property owned or within the control of Leitrim County Council,” the council stated.

Cllr Prior said he received the same information after speaking with a Council engineer.

“It is Waterways Ireland property,” he said. “It is their responsibility.”

Waterways Ireland was asked a series of detailed questions by the Leitrim Observer about its involvement in safety planning at the location.

It was asked whether it had been contacted by Ballinamore Family Festival organisers in advance of this year’s festival; whether it had received or commented on any risk assessment, event management plan or safety plan; whether it had provided advice concerning canal safety; and whether the area had been inspected before the festival.

It was also asked whether issues including access to the water, lighting, signage, barriers, crowd movement and large numbers of people near the canal had been discussed as part of the planning process.

Waterways Ireland was further asked whether it held records of previous incidents, rescues, near misses or safety concerns at or near the location, whether officials had previously raised concerns about public safety there, and whether any review of the location or its involvement in the festival had been undertaken following the death.

Waterways Ireland did not provide a substantive response to those specific questions, instead saying: “Waterways Ireland was saddened to learn of the death of a young man in Ballinamore at the weekend and offer our deepest sympathy to his family, friends and the wider community affected.”

The Leitrim Observer has therefore been unable to establish from Waterways Ireland’s response whether the area was inspected, whether previous incidents or safety concerns had been considered, or whether any safety reviews or measures had previously been undertaken at the location.

‘Not acceptable’

Cllr Prior said the absence of answers and action is not good enough.

“They just can’t keep washing their hands of it,” he said.

“It’s not acceptable.”

While Mr Creamer’s death occurred during Ballinamore Family Festival, Cllr Prior stressed that his concerns extend far beyond the annual event.

He said the canal is beside a town where people regularly socialise and where large crowds can gather for birthdays, nights out and major events including Cowboys and Heroes.

“This could happen any day of the year,” he said.

“There are 18ths, 21sts, lots of different events that attract younger people into our towns to party. It could happen anytime.

“Water attracts young people. If there’s a bench or a seat beside it, they’ll go down and sit and have a can or a drink or something, a bit of food.”

He said it was therefore unfair to place responsibility for the wider canal area solely on the festival committee.

“People don’t want the finger pointed at the festival committee,” he said.

“This could happen any day of the year. That’s the concern that’s there at the moment.”

Council says canal outside its control

Leitrim County Council said it received the Ballinamore Family Festival Health and Safety Plan, insurance documentation for the festival including an indemnity in favour of the council, and the road-closure request.

The Council stated that the temporary road closure related only to Main Street and High Street, where festival events took place, and that the canal area was not covered by the road-closure request.

“The canal area is not property owned or within the control of Leitrim County Council,” the Council stated.

The council said it had examined the road-closure application and advertised the proposal to stakeholders. It said no submissions or objections were received following publication of the proposal.

The Council supplied the Observer with copies of the documents it had received from the Festival Committee. The Health and Safety Plan is headed “Traffic Management & Health and Safety Plan – Proposed Road Closures” and sets out arrangements covering road barriers, diversion routes, stewarding, emergency vehicle access and pedestrian safety.

Its risk assessment summary covers vehicle entry, emergency access, traffic congestion, pedestrian/vehicle conflict and public confusion.

The documents supplied by the Council to the Observer deal specifically with the proposed road closures and associated traffic and pedestrian arrangements. They do not, on their face, establish whether the Health and Safety Plan was the festival’s complete risk assessment or whether any separate event risk assessment or event-management document addressed the canal.

Asked whether risks associated with members of the public being close to the canal had been considered, and whether recommendations had been made concerning water safety, barriers, lighting, warning signs, stewarding, security or canal access, the Council said the canal was outside the festival area and was not part of the road-closure request.

Asked whether arrangements had been discussed for people leaving festival events late at night and moving through areas beside the canal, the council responded: “Not a matter for LCC.”

Asked whether the Council had carried out any review of its role in the festival’s safety planning following the incident, it said: “No. The canal is Waterways Ireland asset.”

Festival committee declines to comment

The Leitrim Observer also put detailed questions to the Ballinamore Family Festival Committee about its safety planning for this year’s festival.

The committee was asked whether a formal risk assessment was undertaken, whether the canal and water-safety risks were considered, whether measures such as barriers, additional lighting, warning signs, stewards or security were considered or put in place, whether advice was sought from public authorities, and what arrangements were in place to monitor areas adjacent to the canal, including after evening events.

It was also asked whether an event management or emergency plan included arrangements for an incident involving someone entering or falling into the water, whether arrangements were made for people leaving festival events late at night and passing areas close to the canal, and whether previous incidents, near misses, complaints or other safety concerns had been taken into account.

The festival committee declined to answer those questions.

In a statement, it said: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Alan Creamer, and our thoughts remain with the Creamer and McKiernan families, Alan’s friends and everyone affected.

“As this tragic incident is now a matter for An Garda Síochána and the Coroner’s Court, we do not believe it would be appropriate for the Festival Committee to comment on the circumstances or related matters at this time.”

The committee has therefore not confirmed whether any separate festival risk assessment or event planning specifically addressed the canal or water-safety arrangements.

Motion to council

Cllr Prior now intends to bring the issue before the September meeting of Leitrim County Council.

He said he will seek action rather than further disagreement between agencies about responsibility.

“I live very local to it, only two minutes down the road from it,” he said.

“It’s disappointing and it’s sad to think that now I’m there in a position that you should be able to do something about it, but you’re just hitting a brick wall at the moment.

“We will keep on to them. Pressure will have to be kept on.”

Cllr Prior also said he spoke to members of the emergency services following the tragedy and that they had found the experience disturbing.

“It was very disturbing. It was a terrible experience,” he said.

“These are local fire people that all have families as well and live locally. They know themselves. They don’t want it to be their son or daughter. Nobody does.”

A local priest who attended the scene also subsequently approached him, he said, and told him: “Something needs to be done.”

There is no suggestion that the condition of the canal caused or contributed to Mr Creamer’s death. The Leitrim Observer has not established that the condition of the canal caused or contributed to his death.

The circumstances surrounding his death remain a matter for An Garda Síochána and the Coroner.

The issue now being raised by families and local representatives is a separate one: after four deaths, what safety measures have been considered at the canal, what measures have been put in place, and whether further measures are now required?

For Cllr Prior, the fear is that without action, Ballinamore could eventually be faced with another tragedy.

“We all have young people that go out, and we want them to be safe,” he said.

“We can’t have another loss of life.”