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Irish Times
4 days ago
- Irish Times
Community ‘numb' following death of 12-year-old girl in Co Tipperary swimming accident
A local community is 'numb' following the death of a 12-year-old girl after a swimming incident in Co Tipperary on Friday afternoon. The girl, who has been named locally as Freya Tobin, was swimming at a spot along the Suir Blueway in the village of Newcastle, which is located close the border with Co Waterford The former sixth class student at the Social Mhuire Caisleán Nua National School had been swimming with a number of others when she got into difficulty at about 4.20pm. A friend raised the alarm and number of local boys dived into the water to help. The spot where the girls were swimming is known to have strong currents. READ MORE Gardaí, National Ambulance Service personnel and firefighters from Clonmel Fire Station's swift water rescue team attended the scene. Freya was transferred to Cork University Hospital by the Irish Coast Guard Air and Sea Rescue 117 helicopter after being recovered from the water at about 4.45pm. In a statement, gardaí said that they and emergency services attended an incident where 'a female child got into difficulty in the water at river Suir, Newcastle, Co Tipperary at approximately 4.20pm today.' The statement said: 'She was airlifted by Rescue 117 to Cork University Hospital in a serious condition. She has since passed away.' A file will be prepared for the Coroner's Court. 'Sometimes no words seem adequate when a tragedy like what happened in our parish in Newcastle today occurs,' said local priest Fr Michael Toomey. He said 'no words can give comfort at this time' and that his thoughts and prayers are with the girl's family who have 'suffered a terrible loss in this awful tragedy'. A prayer service will be held at Our Lady of the Assumption in Newcastle at 12pm. 'As we all come together to support one another in our grief and to offer prayers for her family, please, look out for one another in these days, and don't be afraid to look for help and support in the coming days,' Fr Toomey said. Scoil Mhuire Caisleán Nua has organised support for all students and parents. Independent TD Mattie McGrath, who is from the local area, said that 'everyone in the village is numb after what has happened. 'It's a very close knit community. Our thoughts are with the young girl's family, her mother and younger brother whom I know well.' Mr McGrath thanked all the emergency services and 'so many locals who did their best' to help save Freya and who are now 'rallying around her family.'
Irish Daily Mirror
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Heartbroken mum of drowning victim slams those who live-streamed tragedy
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.'
Sunday World
02-05-2025
- Sunday World
Heartbroken brother pays tribute as swimmer (36) who drowned in River Lee is named
Luke Hyde was pronounced dead at the scene by a local doctor. A man has paid a broken tribute to his younger brother who died while swimming in the River Lee in Cork city. Emergency services recovered the body of a man who got into difficulty while swimming in the river Lee near St Mary's Church in Cork city centre on Wednesday evening 30 April. The man, who has been named locally as Luke Hyde (36) from Cork's northside, entered the north channel of the river Lee from Pope's Quay 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. Luke Hyde Today's News in 90 Seconds - Friday May 2 Two divers from the group, using a sonar scanner, recovered the body of the swimmer not far from where he had gone underwater. The man was pronounced dead at the scene by a local doctor. In a heartfelt tribute on social media his brother Mark wrote: "Luke I'm absolutely and totally heartbroken and cannot believe that you have been taken from us in a cruel way. "I'm still waiting for you to ring me and tell me snap out of it and that this is all a bad dream. You are and always will be my baby brother and I love you unconditionally with all my heart and soul brother. "You were a gentle giant and didn't have a bad bone in your body.' No funeral arrangements have been made as yet.
Irish Times
01-05-2025
- Irish Times
Body recovered of man who got into difficulty swimming in river Lee in Cork
Emergency services have recovered the body of a man who got into difficulties while swimming in the river Lee near St Mary's Church in Cork city centre on Wednesday evening. The man, who was in his mid-30s and from Cork's northside, entered the north channel of the river Lee from Pope's Quay with a friend at around 6.45pm to try to swim to Kyrl's Quay. The first man successfully made it across the channel, and exited at steps at Kyrl's Quay on the southern side of the channel, which is about 50 metres wide at that point. The second man 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. READ MORE The second man raised the alarm, and members of Cork City Fire Service were quickly on the scene, joined by the Crosshaven RNLI. 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. Rescue 117 carried out several sweeps of the north channel of the Lee down past the Port of Cork building where it merges with the south channel of the Lee before entering Cork Harbour. The Irish Coast Guard, RNLI and Cork Fire Services were also assisted by members of the voluntary Cork City Missing Persons Search Group, who provided a number of divers. Two divers from the group, using a sonar scanner, recovered the body of the swimmer not far from where he had gone underwater. The man was pronounced dead at the scene by a local doctor. His body was removed to Cork University Hospital morgue for a postmortem, which will form part of the file that gardaí will prepare for an inquest at Cork City Coroner's Court. The deceased man's friend was removed by ambulance from the scene to the Mercy University Hospital, where he was kept overnight for observation. The dead man and his friend were among several people who went swimming in the Lee off Pope's Quay on Wednesday evening as temperatures exceeded 20 degrees in Cork.
