Inquest hears details of kite surfer’s death

An inquest has been held into the death of a kitesurfer in Rossnowlagh last year has been told winds were over 50 kilometres an hour at the time.
26 year old student David North was unable to take to the air before he was whipped along the beach on to rocks on November 24th last.
The jury was told Mr North’s 9.3 metre kite was old and fraying.
Coroner Dr Diarmuid Hegarty said in Donegal town it was a tragic accident when David, of Drumany Glebe, Milltown near Belturbet, Co. Cavan, received multiple skull fractures when blown on to rocks while kite-surfing.
The coroner added that in all sports with an element of risk people accepted the risks to take part in adventure sports.
David, a former plumber studying technology was with a group of other students from Letterkenny IT.
Kite-flying expert Garda Padraig Deery described two safety attachments to the harness, the second one designed to release the flyer if the first failed to work. The kite was “quite old”, dating to 2002 or 2003, and was in a very bad state of wear and tear.
Kyra McKenna told the inquest that David was preparing to launch after she went into the air in 27-knot winds. She was in the air several minutes when she suddenly saw an ambulance on the beach.
She believed the wind-strength, and lack of knowledge of the kite he was using resulted in his death.
A verdict of Death by Misadventure was returned.