A murder trial heard on Thursday of the efforts to revive mum of two Lu Na McKinney whose lifeless body was dragged from the waters of Lower Lough Erne four years ago.

Dungannon Crown Court, where her 44-year-old husband Stephen is on trial, heard from medics who battled for almost an hour to save the 35-year-old drowning victim in the early hours of April 13, 2017.

Mr. McKinney was also variously described to the jury of eight men and four women by doctors and paramedics as appearing tearful, distressed, agitated, upset, and sad and who continually asked about her condition.

The couple were on a boating holiday with their two children when Mrs. McKinney, according to her husband, fell into the water while checking the ropes mooring their hire-cruiser at the west jetty on Devenish Island.

Mr. McKinney, originally from Strabane, who lived with his family in Convoy, Co Donegal, but now with an address in Castletown Square, Fintona, Tyrone, denies her murder.

The trial, now in its eighth day has already heard Mrs McKinney had been in the water for around 50 minutes before being pulled her from the lough and efforts were immediately began to revive her.

A paramedic in the ambulance rushing her on the short journey to Enniskillen's South West Acute Hospital from Trory Jetty said that resuscitation continued, which included adrenaline injections.

"We tried to dry her off and placed a foil blanket over her. An assessment found no pulse, no breathing and no signs of life. We continued to provide resuscitation while transferring her to hospital," she told the court.

Mrs McKinney's final journey from the nearest land based jetty to the hospital began shortly after 2am that morning. However, a little before 3am "sadly" the consultant on call and the medical team at the South West Acute Hospital decided to call a halt to their efforts to revive her.

The consultant, referring to his notes said he had "documented that resuscitative efforts were stopped at 02.52 and that was based on a team decision that with the time elapsed ... and blood test results ... and no evidence of any heart beat".

He went on to agree with counsel that on breaking the news to Mr. McKinney he "appeared upset". He sat down, gesturing with his hands, waving them back and forth in the air.... he was not crying, but said: "Why wouldn't she listen?'"

He further accepted McKinney went on to explain Lu Na "had gone to bed and subsequently raised concerns regarding her perception of the boat moving and the ropes may not have been properly secured. He tried to reassure her but she must have attempted to check the ropes herself and fallen into the water".

The consultant recalled McKinney then said: "How am I going to tell the children?"

Another Emergency Department doctor who examined Mr. McKinney said she recollected him telling her "Lu Na McKinney went out to check the notes on the boat and hearing a splash he went to check if she was ok" and after being in the water trying to find her, got out and raised the alarm.

She added Mr. McKinney "seemed upset" and while she could recollect him being "tearful" she could not say now "if he was crying".

Later under cross-examination she said she remembered "him looking upset and sad", and that she recorded in his medical notes: "Understandably upset as his partner had just passed away."

Earlier a paramedic who transported Mr. McKinney and his two children to the hospital agreed he'd described him as "being distressed and agitated and asking about his wife and how she was", but that he "couldn't say anything because she was in another ambulance".

He said Mr. McKinney's clothes were dry and he "seemed to remember him telling me about changing his clothes as he had been in the water", that his wife had fallen in the water after going to check on the ropes, and he attempted to save her.

Under defence cross-examination the paramedic confirmed Mr. McKinney's temperature at the time would be considered borderline hypothermia and he repeatedly asked him about Lu Na, but that he was unable to answer his questions.

The trial resumes on Monday.