Heartbroken mum of drowning victim slams those who live-streamed tragedy

Irish Daily Mirror

02-05-2025

The heartbroken mother of Luke Hyde, who drowned on Wednesday while swimming in the River Lee, has expressed her disgust and upset as onlookers live-streamed the tragedy as it unfolded - rather than helping her son.
Luke - who would have turned 34 on June 2 - entered the north channel of the River Lee from Pope's Quay in Cork with a friend at around 6.45pm to try to swim to Kyrl's Quay.
The first man successfully made it across the channel. However, Mr Hyde got into difficulty as he neared the quay wall and disappeared beneath the surface of the water, which was rising towards high tide at 8.20pm.
Irish Coast Guard Marine Rescue Centre at Valentia Island co-ordinated the rescue operation, and tasked the Irish Coast Guard Sikorski helicopter from Waterford, Rescue 117, to assist.
Gardaí had to push people back and increase the cordon around first responders as dozens of onlookers gathered to watch and film, some live-streaming, as Mr Hyde was drowning.
Now, Luke's broken-hearted mother Elizabeth has slammed those who stood by filming and live-streaming her son drowning instead of throwing a lifebuoy to help save him.
'My reaction would be to try and save him, throw a lifebuoy instead of filming. The whole family is upset over it. Who are these people?,' an emotional Elizabeth told the Neil Prendeville Show on Cork's RedFm.
'I don't know if I can come to terms with this, that my son was drowning and people were filming.
'I want to let those people know who are so fond of their phones that I hope they are listening to this broken-hearted family,' continued Elizabeth.
The death of Luke is the second tragedy Elizabeth has gone through in the past five years as Luke's older brother Brian passed away in his sleep.
Elizabeth said she hasn't slept since Wednesday night when she found out Luke had passed away.
'I haven't slept since Wednesday. My whole body is trembling. Beautiful, mannered young fella that God put on this earth,' Elizabeth said.
She said she was watching television on Wednesday evening when she heard the Coastguard helicopter flying over.
'So I knew something was wrong and I said to myself 'God help us, I hope they find the person'.
'Little did I know it was my son they were looking for. I rang his phone and it rang out. He'd always answer, he'd report everything back to me.
'I thought he was at work. I didn't know he had the day off.
She said a strange voice answered the phone and asked her who she was. She said she was looking to speak to Luke but then a male told her he was a Garda.
'That was it. I ran out on the street with no shoes and I ran to the river. They were putting Luke into the ambulance. There were crowds of people there at the quay.
'I don't know how I am coping,' she said.
Elizabeth said she shouted: 'I need to hold my son, I need to see him. Did he call my name? Did he call my name?
'He was turning his life around and he started a job last week in Tesco Express on the Douglas Road.
'He told me he is sorting his life out, he has a job, he said he is going to make it.
'Everyone loved him, he was a polite mannerly boy, the gentlest person going,' said Elizbeth.
Meanwhile, a senior fire officer has pleaded with people not to publish or share the distressing video footage taken as the tragedy unfolded.
'This man was clearly in difficulty in the water but we saw no signs of lifebuoys in the water when we arrived at the scene minutes after the alarm was raised," said second officer Victor Shine with Cork City Fire Brigade.
Some footage was live-streamed but Mr Shine spoke out on Thursday after it emerged that the actual drowning and the recovery of the man's remains had also been recorded by some onlookers.
Mr Shine, who has been a firefighter for 44 years, said: 'People today tend to video rather than render aid. But this was another level.
'I would have expected to see lifebuoys in the water and there are some in the area, but I didn't see any in the water and I'm not sure if anyone attempted to throw a lifebuoy.
'I would appeal to people not to share these clips and to consider the impact it might have on the man's family or friends if they saw it.'