STUDENT WHO DIED IN BLAST PLANNED TO GO UNIVERISTY
Student who died in blast planned to go to university
Teenager had already plans made for her future
PARAMEDICS did everything they could to save the life of a Strabane schoolgirl caught up in the Omagh bombing.
Samantha McFarland, from Omagh - an A level pupil of Strabane Grammar School had been in Market Street when the bomb exploded on August 15th 1998.
At the inquest into the schoolgirl's death on Friday, Derek Patterson, a paramedic, told how they responded to the emergency at 3.20pm and were approached by several people carrying a young female on a makeshift stretcher.
He told how the teenager was in a comatose state with a weak pulse. She went into cardiac arrest in the ambulance but responded to CPR in the ambulance on the first occasion but she died on the way to the hospital after attempts at CPR were unsuccessful a second time.
Mr Patterson said the journey to the hospital had taken about fifteen minutes and told how he regarded the teenager's condition as 'grave.'
He told the inquest that he had tried to give her the advantage of his training and thought if life was feasible he would do all he could to save her.
During the inquest, Damien Maguire, who was working in his father's bar, the Kosy Corner, told how he had seen Samantha after he had gone to the front door of the bar on hearing there was a bombscare.
"Samantha was sitting on a windowsill at SD Kells. I shouted out to her but because of the commotion she couldn't hear me."
He told how two lads then came into the bar and as he passed the first one a pint of beer there was an explosion.
James Joseph Mallon told the inquest that he had been working at a house in Campsie Crescent with his son when the bomb exploded.
He told how they went directly to the scene, and as they moved up Market Street his son pointed out to him that Samantha McFarland was lying outside the Salad Bowl.
His son, Ruairi Mallon, told the inquest that he had been in the house when the bomb went off.
He said the front door of the house had swung open and he felt a sudden shock to his chest like a heavy drumbeat going through him.
"I saw brown smoke and debris flying through the air. I walked into Market Street and Samantha was lying on the road outside Nicholl and Shields.
"I walked up Market Street, I don't know why. I walked past some of the worst scenes right beside where the bomb had gone off," the inquest heard.
Gerard McFarland told how he identified the body of his daughter. Mr McFarland told the inquest that Samantha had been in mid-term carrying out her A levels and had several career plans in mind.
He said his daughter had hoped to go on to University.
The inquest also heard evidence that a brother of Samantha McFarland had identified her to police.
State Pathologist, Dr Derek Carson, told the inquest that the teenager had died as a result of a brain injury.
He said she would have been unconscious from the outset and incapable of feeling any pain. He said the teenager would have been impervious to sense or feeling.
Coroner John Leckey said Samantha McFarland was a teenager with plans for the future who was hoping to go to University but tragically nothing was to come of those plans.
Teenager had already plans made for her future
PARAMEDICS did everything they could to save the life of a Strabane schoolgirl caught up in the Omagh bombing.
Samantha McFarland, from Omagh - an A level pupil of Strabane Grammar School had been in Market Street when the bomb exploded on August 15th 1998.
At the inquest into the schoolgirl's death on Friday, Derek Patterson, a paramedic, told how they responded to the emergency at 3.20pm and were approached by several people carrying a young female on a makeshift stretcher.
He told how the teenager was in a comatose state with a weak pulse. She went into cardiac arrest in the ambulance but responded to CPR in the ambulance on the first occasion but she died on the way to the hospital after attempts at CPR were unsuccessful a second time.
Mr Patterson said the journey to the hospital had taken about fifteen minutes and told how he regarded the teenager's condition as 'grave.'
He told the inquest that he had tried to give her the advantage of his training and thought if life was feasible he would do all he could to save her.
During the inquest, Damien Maguire, who was working in his father's bar, the Kosy Corner, told how he had seen Samantha after he had gone to the front door of the bar on hearing there was a bombscare.
"Samantha was sitting on a windowsill at SD Kells. I shouted out to her but because of the commotion she couldn't hear me."
He told how two lads then came into the bar and as he passed the first one a pint of beer there was an explosion.
James Joseph Mallon told the inquest that he had been working at a house in Campsie Crescent with his son when the bomb exploded.
He told how they went directly to the scene, and as they moved up Market Street his son pointed out to him that Samantha McFarland was lying outside the Salad Bowl.
His son, Ruairi Mallon, told the inquest that he had been in the house when the bomb went off.
He said the front door of the house had swung open and he felt a sudden shock to his chest like a heavy drumbeat going through him.
"I saw brown smoke and debris flying through the air. I walked into Market Street and Samantha was lying on the road outside Nicholl and Shields.
"I walked up Market Street, I don't know why. I walked past some of the worst scenes right beside where the bomb had gone off," the inquest heard.
Gerard McFarland told how he identified the body of his daughter. Mr McFarland told the inquest that Samantha had been in mid-term carrying out her A levels and had several career plans in mind.
He said his daughter had hoped to go on to University.
The inquest also heard evidence that a brother of Samantha McFarland had identified her to police.
State Pathologist, Dr Derek Carson, told the inquest that the teenager had died as a result of a brain injury.
He said she would have been unconscious from the outset and incapable of feeling any pain. He said the teenager would have been impervious to sense or feeling.
Coroner John Leckey said Samantha McFarland was a teenager with plans for the future who was hoping to go to University but tragically nothing was to come of those plans.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1482
Published Date: 28-Sep-00
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