By DAISY SAMPSON & PAULO SILVESTRE [email protected]
Jerry Desmond, a 67-year old Irish tourist, died on November 5 at the beach of Santa Eulália in Albufeira after swimming alone in rough seas off the beach.
He was assisted by the Maritime Police and an INEM emergency team but did not regain consciousness and was declared dead at the scene.
His body was taken to the morgue in Albufeira.
A spokesman from INEM told the Algarve Resident: “We received the alarm at 5pm and sent a team to the scene. The man had entered the sea, which was at the time very rough with strong waves.
“The victim suffered heart failure and our team performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation for 45 minutes. Everything was done to attempt to resuscitate the man but it was too late and the man died due to drowning.”
Jerry Desmond, from Clogheen near Cork in Ireland, was the former chief executive of the Irish Coursing Club and had been on holiday in the region with his family when the accident occurred.
A statement on the club website said: “It is with great sadness that we inform you of the tragic passing of Mr Jerry Desmond in Portugal on Friday, November 5. Jerry was the CEO and secretary of the Irish Coursing Club for over 20 years and only recently retired in October 2008.”
Jerry Desmond was well known in the horse and dog racing worlds as the former manager of Clonmel Racecourse, steward of the Turf Club, chairman of the Association of Irish Racecourses and keeper of the Irish stud book.
He is survived by his wife Cora and his children Abbie, Roisin, Billy and Ronan.
A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin told the Algarve Resident that the family of Jerry Desmond were receiving consular assistance in the case.
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