Overview
- O’Callaghan, 55, entered the water to help two women and four children caught in a powerful rip current during choppy, windy conditions at Inch Beach near Midleton on August 23, 2024.
- His nephew Eoghan carried one boy to safety as relatives and locals, including surf club members, helped bring the others ashore.
- All six people who were in difficulty were returned to the beach uninjured, and witnesses at the inquest described O’Callaghan as heroic.
- Emergency crews found him face down on rocks about 30 minutes later, performed CPR, and formally pronounced him dead at 4:15pm.
- Garda Thomas Duane told the inquest that rip‑current warning signs are posted at the beach and emphasized the danger, while noting a multi‑agency response involving Coast Guard units from Guileen and Crosshaven, RNLI crews from Ballycotton and Crosshaven, and Rescue Helicopter 117 from Waterford.