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A man drowned on Monday after getting into difficulty while swimming in a river in Limerick city.
The man, aged in his 20s, went for a swim in the Abbey River, near the Absolute Hotel, close to Harry’s Mall around 1pm.
According to sources, the man was last seen near Baal’s Bridge heading in the direction of the mouth of the River Shannon. He was with another male who alerted emergency services.
A major search operation took place, involving units attached to Limerick City Fire and Rescue Service, including members of the fire service’s water rescue officers.
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Members of the Limerick Marine Search and Rescue Service, along with the Shannon-based coast guard rescue helicopter, were also mobilised as part of the search.
“We believe the man went for a swim and that he may not have realised that the temperature of the river is very cold at this time of the year; it’s even colder than the sea,” said a reliable source, adding, “There is also very fast flowing current in that area.”
The search and rescue group recovered the man’s body from the River Shannon near Sarsfield House, close to Arthur’s Quay at around 6pm and he was taken to University Hospital Limerick mortuary. It is understood gardaí are treating the man’s death as an accident.