A YOUNG Irish boy has died after the boat he was in with his family capsized during a boating trip.
Harry O'Connor, 8 and originally from Co. Tipperary, was underwater for 24 minutes before he was pulled from the capsized boat in Buzzards Bay in Boston, Massachusetts last Wednesday, July 26.
According to local paper The Boston Globe, the boy was among the 12 people rescued from a boat that overturned near the entrance of the Cape Cod canal.
Nine people wearing life jackets — eight children and one adult — were drifting away when they were picked up by the crew of the Disco Volant, while another man and woman were on top of the upturned hull of the capsized boat, screaming that their son was trapped underneath.
While Harry was transported to Boston Children’s Hospital in a critical condition, he sadly later passed away on Saturday, July 29.
The young boy had been living in Sudbury, Boston with his parents Paudie and Laura and siblings Ellen, Charlie and Joe, but the family were originally from Poulnaganogue in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.
Anne Wilson, Sudbury’s schools superintendent, expressed condolences in a districtwide e-mail on Sunday afternoon over the death of the Nixon Elementary School third-grader.
“Nothing compares to the grief and sadness of losing a child,’’ Wilson said. “While the family is the most impacted, many others share in the profound sadness of this tragic event.’’
Tributes to the Irish boy read: "Thinking of you at this sad time and remembering Harry and the joy and laughter he brought to everyone who was lucky enough to know him. You will be in our prayers."
The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs said they are aware of the case and are providing consular assistance.
