Woman hailed a hero after river rescue of child in Cork

Gardaí say a woman who dived in to rescue a toddler who had fallen into the River Lee “undoubtedly saved the child’s life”.

The woman, named locally as Maria Foley from Cobh, jumped some 20ft into the water after the boy, aged 3, entered the river by Brian Boru Bridge in Cork City shortly after noon yesterday.

Gardaí say the child ran away from his au pair, who was pushing a one-year-old in a buggy across St Patrick’s Quay. The child then slipped and fell into the river.