Man arrested and being questioned in connection with death of a woman on a ferry
Sarah Slater
A man arrested in connection with the death of a woman following the death of a woman aboard a ferry bound for Rosslare Europort from Wales yesterday afternoon continues to be questioned by gardaí.
Gardaí along with the public order unit were called to the scene due to what they described as a “serious incident” which occurred on board the Stena Nordica passenger ferry from Fishguard.
A crime scene was declared by gardaí as the ferry docked at the Co Wexford port. It is understood her body was found in a toilet. The arrested man is believed to be known to the deceased.
The captain of the ferry made an emergency call reporting that an “incident” had taken place on the ferry which left Fishguard port at 2pm and arrived in Rosslare around 5pm.
A source at the scene confirmed a woman had died on board the ferry which developed into a “medical emergency” and that the circumstances leading to her death were being investigated by gardaí.
Stena Lines confirmed that an incident had taken place onboard and as a result, two ferries due to sail from the Europort to and from Fishguard were cancelled.
Both the 7:30pm sailing from Rosslare and 1.30am ferry from Fishguard did not sail.
In a statement gardaí said that while they “conduct enquiries onboard, there are no public safety issues at this time.” Gardaí are currently making contact with the family of the injured person.
The man was arrested as part of their investigation and is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act at a Garda Station in the Eastern Region.
The Office of the State Pathologist and local Coroner have been notified. A post-mortem examination will be arranged in due course, the outcome of which will determine the course of the investigation.
The woman’s body has been taken to University Hospital Waterford a post mortem to be carried out. The Coroner’s office has been notified.
A Senior Investigating Officer has been appointed to lead the investigation and a Family Liaison Officer has been assigned to provide support and information to the deceased’s family.
Gardaí added that they are “not in a position to confirm the exact details of any injuries at this time.”
Investigations are ongoing,
