A 30-year-old Cork man who went swimming off a Hong Kong beach with his brother after drinking whisky and beer drowned, an inquest into his death heard yesterday.
Brian Murphy from Lotamore Drive, Mayfield, Cork was en route to visit his brother in New Zealand with another brother when the tragedy occurred on September 5th, 2007.
Cork city coroner Dr Myra Cullinane recorded a verdict of accidental death.
Gerard Murphy told the inquest that he and his brother Brian stopped off in Hong Kong for a night on the way to visit another brother in New Zealand.
After dinner at their hotel, they met an English man in a bar and the three young men went across the road to the beach to drink cans of beer.
The brothers brought a bottle of Jack Daniel's with them that they had bought in the airport to bring to their brother in New Zealand.
Mr Murphy said it was a nice night and they were caught up in the holiday mood. They went swimming in the early hours of the morning and the water was calm where he was. The English man told them to get out as it was dangerous but they just laughed.
Mr Murphy then missed his brother and called out for him. It was very dark and they were the only people on the beach. Thinking he might have returned to the hotel, he went back there to look for him but could not find him.
He tried to explain to the Chinese staff that his brother was missing but they could not understand him.
Mr Murphy broke down in the court yesterday as he gave evidence of searching frantically for his brother
"I went back down to the beach, it was around dawn. I was delirious, I couldn't find my brother. I broke down. I screamed his name and walked along the beach.
Further down, I saw some people who looked like police standing around and I saw my brother lying on the ground."
Mr Murphy paid tribute to the people from the St Patrick's Society in Hong Kong who had taken him in and did everything they could to help.
An autopsy carried out in Hong Kong found that Mr Murphy had died from drowning. His remains were returned to Ireland.
Dr Cullinane expressed her sympathies to the Murphy family on the death of their son and brother in such tragic circumstances and said the evidence had been harrowing.
