Update: Body of man taken from Lee as emergency services pull car from river
A major operation was in place earlier today
The body of a man was taken from the River Lee this afternoon after his car entered the water in the city centre.
Mallow Search and Rescue, Cork City Missing Persons Search and Recovery, Gardai, fire brigade, ambulance crews and divers all attended the scene on Kennedy Quay.
It is believed that the family of the man are aware of the tragic incident.
The car was removed from the water using a crane and the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigations ongoing after body of a man recovered from car found in River Lee
Garda investigations are ongoing following the discovery of the body of a male in a car found in the River Lee this afternoon.
Amy Nolan
Garda investigations are ongoing following the discovery of the body of a male in a car found in the River Lee this afternoon.
The car and the body of the man were recovered in a stretch of the River Lee at Kennedy Quay in the city.
In a statement Gardaí said: Gardaí attended the scene of an incident at Kennedy Quay in Cork City this afternoon, Monday 3rd May 2021, at 2.30pm.
Emergency Services have recovered the body of a man from the River Lee It s believed the man s car entered the water at Kennedy Quay earlier today
Units of the Fire Service from Anglesea Street and Gardaí were called to the scene at Kennedy Quay earlier today.
The National Ambulance Service, Mallow Search and Rescue and rescue divers were also called to the incident.
A car was recovered from the water using a crane and the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Members of the Mallow Search and Rescue Unit braved the flooded and fast flowing River Blackwater on Tuesday evening in a dramatic, life-saving rescue operation.
The drama unfolded at around 6pm after rising flood waters trapped a man in a disused pump-house he had been staying in close to the town park near the Ten-Arch Bridge in Mallow .
Unit chairman John Woulfe said the man had heard about potential flooding in the area but by the time he decided to get away the flood waters had risen dangerously high. The water rose very rapidly and caught him out. Thankfully, he had a flashlight and began signalling for help. A lady in the Dairygold car park saw this and, realising something was wrong, alerted a nearby council worker who in turn contacted the Gardaí and ourselves, said Mr Woulfe.
The recent missing person search along the River Blackwater has served to highlight the importance of search and rescue units and the key role they play in assisting the emergency services during operations of this kind.
Run on a voluntary basis, these units receive little or no statutory funding, relying almost exclusively on fundraising events, donations from the public and the money members spend from their own coffers to remain operational.
Like so many other voluntary organisations they have been hit hard by the Covid pandemic, with the cancellation of fundraising events meaning a key source of their income has dried up. As a result they are left with no option but to dig into their often meagre reserves and when they run dry members cover the costs of remaining operations from their own pockets.