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Editor: Rod Sullivan
Profession: Maritime Attorney

Category: Cruise Ship Injuries and Accidents

While the local news media reported the death of Desmond Lynch, the owner of Lynch's Irish Pub in Jacksonville Beach, as a suicide, the United States Coast Guard opened both civil and criminal investigations on the cause of death.

Lynch, who had owned the popular Jacksonville Beach nightspot since 1994, died on a Friday afternoon cruise when he allegedly jumped from the M/V Suncruz VII while it was about 12 miles off of Mayport. According to two of the three witnesses who saw Lynch go overboard, he came up to them, said there was a bomb on board, and jumped into the water. One of the witnesses yelled "man overboard" and the Suncruz vessel did a round turn to attempt to locate him.

The civil investigation arose out of the fact that when Suncruz attempted to launch a boat to recover Mr. Lynch, the engine failed to start, thereby delaying the rescue. When Lynch was finally recovered, CPR was performed, but it was too late. The Coast Guard was attempting to determine whether the launch had been properly maintained and regularly operated by the crew of the vessel.