Emergency services praised after search for tragic teen on Achill Island

The aunt of a Mexican teenager who died following a fall on an Achill mountain has thanked the professionalism of the emergency services for doing everything they could for the family.

Eighteen-year-old Sebastian Palma Sigmond from Mexico died in July while on a ‘holiday of a lifetime' with his grandparents and sisters to Achill Island, to visit his aunt and cousins.

His aunt Julieta McDonnell, who resides in Dooagh on Achill Island, told his inquest which took place in Swinford Courthouse, that the alarm was raised after Sebastian failed to return from a walk on the evening of July 7.

The inquest heard that Sebastian had gone for a walk on his own and a large search party involving members of the Achill and Westport Coast Guard Unit, Mayo Mountain Rescue, Mayo Civil Defence, An Garda Siochana and local volunteers took part in the search.

The body of Sebastian was discovered by members of Mayo Mountain Rescue after he fell on Slievemore mountain on the afternoon of July 9.

Following the inquest, Julieta thanked all the emergency services for their professionalism and doing what they could to recover her nephew's body.

“I want to make sure that everyone knows that the services provided by everyone, the gardaí, the doctors, the coast guard were professional and there was nothing left undone. They were outstanding and brilliant. We don't know the dangers they are facing and they are the people who help us make the tragedy much more bearable. It brought a lot of comfort knowing that they did everything they could for us,” she said.

Earlier, Ms McDonnell explained that she collected Sebastian and his sister and grandparents in Dublin Airport on June 27 and brought them to their home on Achill Island.

On July 7, he left the family home at 5.30pm and she started to worry for his safety when he failed to return by 8.30pm. She rang the gardaí later that evening and a full scale search began the next morning.

Garda Martin O'Reilly of Achill Sound Garda Station said he became aware of the missing teen at 7am on July 8 and started to coordinate a search involving the various emergency service agencies.

On Sunday, July 9, he said he was informed the body of Mr Palma Sigmond was discovered three quarters way up the Dugort side of Slievemore at approximately 5pm. He explained that he contacted colleagues to inform family members of the discovery of the body.

“What should have been a holiday of a lifetime turned out to be their worst nightmare,” Garda O'Reilly commented.

Dr Tomas Nemeth, Consultant Pathologist in Mayo University Hospital, said the post mortem found that the teen suffered multiple rib fractures as well a fracture to his sternum. He said the other main finding was to the head where he suffered brain edema and found the cause of death was subdural haemorrhage with brain edema sustained in traumatic head injury following a fall.

The toxicology report showed that there were no drugs or alcohol detected in his system at the time of death. Mr Patrick O'Connor, Coroner for the district of Mayo recorded a verdict of accidental death saying that Sebastian had for whatever reason gone up the mountain and unfortunately he fell.

He expressed his sympathies with his aunt Julieta and her family on the sad passing of her nephew and asked her to concentrate on the happy memories they had during his holiday instead of the difficult times, as a result of his sudden loss.