Report into the death of Garda on a boat in Leitrim released

A report from the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) has concluded that the fire on a boat in Leitrim, in which a Garda lost her life, was the result of a gas leak on the vessel.

The report does not name the victim; however, it identifies the vessel, DollFinn, which was owned by Detective Garda Deirdre Finn, according to The Irish Times.

Detective Garda Deirdre Finn, who was based at Dún Laoghaire Garda Station in Dublin, was on her boat in Carrick-on-Shannon on the August Bank Holiday weekend of 2023 for the 61st Shannon Boat Rally.

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According to the report, she returned to the boat following a gala dinner held in Carrick-on-Shannon on the Sunday evening, sending a text message to the owner of a neighbouring boat at around 4:20 a.m.

The fire started shortly afterwards when gas from a leaking liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder ignited from a small flame, known as a pilot light, on a marine fridge. The fire was discovered hours later, around 7:55 a.m., when the alarm was raised.

By the time emergency services arrived, the vessel was engulfed in flames.

There are currently no statutory fire appliance requirements for recreational craft less than 13.7 metres in length, such as the DollFinn.

However, the report states that the vessel was equipped with fire safety equipment, though it was not possible to confirm whether a carbon monoxide alarm had been fitted in the forward cabin or galley area.

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The report makes a number of safety recommendations to the Minister for Transport, including a review of regulations around LPG installations and systems on vessels.

Following this incident in August 2023, members of the Shannon Boat Rally committee met with a member of the Leitrim Fire Service. It was agreed that further steps should be taken to make participants more aware of fire safety requirements and recommendations, with a focus on prevention and evacuation rather than firefighting.

It was decided that a fire drill would be carried out at each rally. In 2024, a fire safety talk took place at the start of the rally, followed by a fire drill. Rally participants were given the following recommendations and advised to have the following safety equipment on board:

Smoke alarms in each cabin, Carbon monoxide alarms in each cabin, Fire extinguishers, Fire blanket, Fire axe, Automatic fire extinguisher in the engine area, Fuel stored in proper containers at all times, No use of candles on board – battery-operated candles are recommended instead