Family seek probe after canal death
Missing man's body found in Rotterdam
Tuesday December 08 2009
THE family of an Irishman whose body was pulled from a canal in Rotterdam has appealed to Dutch authorities to carry out a post- mortem examination as they try to discover how and why he died.
The body of Noel Gill (30), from Westport, Co Mayo, was recovered on Sunday afternoon. He had been missing for three weeks.
In a tragic twist, shortly before his family were informed that a body had been found, Peter Geraghty (39), one of his closest friends and long-time partner of Mr Gill's sister, Caroline, suffered a heart attack and later died.
Caroline Gill was in Rotterdam supporting Noel's wife, Cindy, when she was told of Peter's death.
Both families have two young children.
"We can't get our heads around this at all," Mr Gill's mother, Bernie, said yesterday.
"One after the other -- it is just unbelievable. They worked together in Germany for years. They were football mad, huge Liverpool fans, friends for the last 20 years or more.
"Caroline knows Peter for about 18 or 19 years and has been with him for more than 15. She's absolutely devastated. They're just after moving into a new house and everything was going right for her," she added.
Disappeared
Mr Gill, a builder, moved to Rotterdam 13 months ago after work dried up at home, but would return to Mayo regularly to see his wife and children, Christopher (10) and Cian (5).
However, he disappeared in the early hours of Thursday, November 20 after a night in the pub watching the second leg of the World Cup play-off against France.
His family are adamant that after years of living in continental Europe -- and given his strong fear of water -- that something sinister may have happened for him to end up in the canal.
"The Dutch authorities don't want to do a post mortem," Mrs Gill said yesterday.
"His wallet and his licence were found on him, so they're happy enough with identification and they don't want to go any further.
"But we want one. Somebody knows something but they're not telling. And maybe we'll never know, especially if they don't do the post mortem.
"We're just after learning that there may be difficulty in claiming his life insurance if we don't get one.
"And obviously that would leave problems for Cindy and the mortgage on the house."
The Irish embassy in The Hague has confirmed it is providing consular assistance to Mr Gill's family.
His sister Caroline flew back to Dublin yesterday afternoon following the sudden death of the father of her two children, Chelsea (13) and Kayleigh (8).
It is understood that Mr Geraghty had had a heart attack, and was found slumped in his car near his home.
"He never, ever complained about his chest," Mrs Gill said.
"He had a bad back alright -- he was a roofer and climbing up and down probably didn't do him any favours, but there was never anything about his chest.
"It is just dreadful," she added.
- Jason O'Brien
Irish Independent
