Garda Nigel Desmond risked his own life to help the man who was seen entering the southern channel of the river at Lancaster Quay just before 1pm.

Gardaí have tasked volunteers with the Cork Missing Persons Search and Recovery group to search the south channel of the river Lee as they issued an appeal for help tracing Cormac Ryan, 31, who was last seen on Sunday.

The longest serving member of the Cork City Missing Persons Search and Recovery, Dinny Kiely, has been named Cork Person of the Month for July.