An inquest has heard Frenchpark man Pat McCrann died instantaneously after a tyre exploded while he was working in a shed.
The coroner delivered a verdict of accidental death today.
Pat McCrann, 50, ran a tyre business in Sheepwalk, Frenchpark. He was welding a wheel rim of a farmyard trailer, with a tyre in situ, at around 6.20pm on July 18th of last year, in a shed at his parents' home nearby, when there was an explosion.
The tyre went though the roof of the shed.
In a deposition read out at Roscommon Coroner's Court in Ballaghaderreen today, his brother, Kevin, said he rushed to his side after hearing an explosion. But he says he knew he was dead and there was a lot of blood at the scene.
Pat was pronounced dead at the scene.
Health and Safety Authority inspector, Kay Baxter, told the inquest: "Patrick was repairing a wheel rim, with a tyre in situ, using an arc welder. He was carrying out this work in a shed at his parents’ farmyard, which is near his tyre centre."
She said the pressure in the tyre rose until the tyre was forced off the wheel-rim in an explosive fashion and was propelled through the roof of the shed, landing in a concrete yard outside the shed. She said the impact with the tyre caused fatal head injuries to Pat.
She said Pat was a very experienced tyre fitter, with over 30 years in the business, and that he owned the welder he was using.
Dr Caroline Brodie, who carried out his postmortem examination in Galway University Hospital, said he died from a catastrophic traumatic brain injury.
Responding to coroner Brian O’Connor, she said Pat would not have suffered as his death would have been instantaneous.
The coroner found he died of a catastrophic traumatic brain injury, in line with medical evidence, and gave a verdict of accidental death. He said Pat was well known for being an obliging person, who went out of his way to help people.
He expressed deep condolences on the tragic death.
