Tributes are being paid to a father of five whose body was found in a camper van on Sunday in Co Kilkenny who may have died from carbon monoxide poisoning, it is understood, reports The Mirror.
Named locally as Gerry Kennedy, from Tikerlevan, Coppenagh, his body was found in nearby Thomastown at midday on Sunday.
Mr Kennedy had been socialising in Thomastown on Saturday night and decided to sleep in his campervan due to weather warnings advising people against driving due to forecasted snow and ice, reports The Mirror.
Mr Kennedy, who worked as a builder, parked his camper van in a car park and turned the engine on to keep warm due to the freezing temperatures. It is understood that carbon monoxide subsequently seeped into the stationary vehicle.
Gardaí were alerted to the discovery of the man’s body when a local person became concerned that the camper van’s engine had been running for several hours. The man’s body was removed from the scene and a post-mortem was carried out at University Hospital Waterford (UHW), reports The Mirror.
A Garda spokesperson confirmed the discovery of the man’s body and said they were treating Mr Kennedy’s death as a “tragic accident”.
The spokesperson added: “Gardaí and emergency services responded to an incident in Thomastown, Co Kilkenny at approximately 12pm on Sunday. A man (aged in his 40s) was discovered deceased in a camper van. His body was removed to the mortuary at Waterford University Hospital. A file will now be prepared for the coroner,” reports The Mirror.
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