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The Galway family, mourning the death of a fisherman on Monday afternoon, have been hit by a second tragedy.
Tom Oliver, a member of one of Galway’s oldest fishing families from Claddagh, lost his life in a fishing accident off the coast at Salthill on Monday afternoon.
His family has been thrown into further grief after his father Martin, who was fishing with him when the accident occurred, died overnight.
The death of the father and son has shocked the fishing community, neighbors and friends of Claddagh throughout Galway City and beyond.
The Oliver family have been recognized as fishermen and seafarers for generations, many of whom served as lifeboat volunteers over the years.
Two members of the extended family, Patrick Oliver (38) and his 18-year-old son Morgan, were hailed as heroes in August after they rescued cousins Sara Feeney (23) and Ellen Glynn (17).
It was feared that they would get lost after drifting for more than 15 hours overnight on paddle boards in Galway Bay before the Olivers found them in the Aran Islands after correctly calculating where they might be.
Patrick is a first cousin of Tom Oliver who died on Monday and Martin is his uncle.
The death of Tom Oliver, 37, on Monday afternoon caused widespread shock. It is believed that it may have become entangled in one of the lines attached to its fishing pots and become submerged.
He had left Galway harbor on Monday with his father Martin to tend fishing pots in an area of Blackrock in Salthill and Silverstrand.
The father and son, like the other members of his extended family, were a regular sight of fishing in the bay.
News of Martin Oliver’s death overnight quickly spread through Galway this morning as family, neighbors and friends came to terms with the double tragedy.
A note on www.rip.ie indicated that the funeral arrangements for the father and son would be announced later.
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