A postmortem has ruled out foul play in the death of a man who was found partially clothed on a golf course in Co Cork.
Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster confirmed to gardaí on Saturday that 28-year-old Jack O’Donovan, who was from Macroom, had died as a result of hypothermia.
His body was found on Macroom golf course at 9.30am on Friday by a staff member of Macroom Golf Club.
The staff member contacted the emergency services and the man was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later.
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Officers from Macroom Garda station cordoned off the scene and erected a tent to protect the body from the elements.
Some of Jack O’Donovan’s clothing, a shirt and top, were found a few hundred metres away, which led some gardaí to suspect he may taken them off when suffering from hypothermia.
People suffering from hypothermia can believe their body is overheating, a Garda source said, so they counter-intuitively take off clothing in what is known as paradoxical undressing. This is believed to have happened in Jack O’Donovan’s case.
Gardaí are still trying to piece together his last known movements and are trying to confirm reports using CCTV footage that he was last seen alive with two or three other men in Macroom town centre at around 10pm on Thursday.
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An Garda Síochána said in a statement that a full file on Jack O’Donovan’s death, including the postmortem results, would be compiled to assist an inquest, which is to be held at a future date at the Cork county coroner’s court.
