THREE FURTHER bodies have been recovered from rivers around the country, bringing to four the number of river drownings in a 24-hour period. The rivers Barrow, Nore and Suir, known as “The Three Sisters”, each claimed a life, as did the River Shannon.
Community leaders and water safety officials have called for extra vigilance as large crowds have been flocking to rivers due to the exceptionally warm weather.
A 19-year-old man drowned in the River Shannon near Athlone, Co Westmeath, yesterday. He got into difficulty at about 3.30pm when swimming with friends.
He was discovered in the water some 15 minutes later and brought to Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, in a critical condition but was subsequently pronounced dead.
Earlier members of a subaqua unit recovered the body of Angela Delaney (24) from the River Nore in the centre of Kilkenny yesterday morning.
The local woman had apparently gone swimming at about 11.30pm the previous evening, got into difficulties and went missing. Gardaí were contacted and a search got under way. Her body was found in 3m (10ft) of water between Green’s Bridge and John’s Bridge at 11am.
On Wednesday evening, Kevin Byrne (22), from Ballymacar, New Ross, Co Wexford, drowned while swimming in the River Barrow at about 6.15pm at Graiguenamanagh, Co Kilkenny. Frantic efforts by other swimmers to rescue him were unsuccessful.
In Co Tipperary, a woman’s body was recovered from the River Suir in the early hours of yesterday morning. The emergency services were alerted after clothing was found in the North Quay area of Carrick-on-Suir at 10pm on Wednesday night.
The body of a 40-year-old woman was recovered after a four-hour search. Efforts are under way to contact her relatives in Britain.