A fisherman who had been warned about the dangers of a Donegal beach was found dead just two weeks later having drowned.
The body of John Kelly, aged 58, was found by a man out picking whelks from rocks at Port na Ling Beach at Ballywhoriskey in Fanad in September 2021.
Seamus Coll told an inquest into Mr Kelly's death at Letterkenny Courthouse that he was walking along the beach around 10am when he thought he saw a bag on rocks.
However, when he went closer he noticed it was a body.
He had earlier noticed a taxi parked nearby.
He contacted the coastguard and the Gardai and a local doctor, Vanessa McBride from Tamney, arrived on the scene.
Dr McBride examined the deceased and pronounced death at 12.51pm.
Dr McBride told in her statement how she had spoken to a local man Danny Shiels, who had warned Mr Kelly two weeks earlier about the dangers of the beach.
This was after an encounter when Mr Shiels saw Mr Kelly coming off the beach and his wellington boots were full of water.
The court was told that Mr Kelly would go fishing onto an island at low tide and fish and return either before or after the tide had come in again.
Gardas Maxine Quigley said she arrived on the scene and found Mr Kelly who had been reported missing the previous day by his son Jack form the family home at Shanreagh Park in Derry.
The dead man was wearing a black Addidas backpack and his fishing tackle box was also found on rocks nearby.
A report from pathologist Dr Katriona Dillon at Letterkenny University Hospital revealed Mr Kelly had a number of cuts and abrasions on his face but this was most likely after he had drowned.
However, she added that in her opinion death was due to drowning.
Coroner for Donegal, Dr Denis McCauley said he was satisfied that death was caused due to drowning.
Describing Mr Kelly's death he added that he did not think an event had caused him to fall.
He added the previous warning given to him to be careful about the tides in the area suggested that he tried to get back to the mainland before the tide came in but miscalculated the tide and drowned.
He said his death was due to an accident.
Both coroner Dr McCauley and Garda Sergeant Fergus McGrory conveyed their sympathies to the dead man's family.
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