'There’s a body in the river': Cork woman speaks of River Lee rescue

Gardaí confirmed that a woman in her 60s was conveyed to Cork University Hospital for treatment of her minor injuries as a result of this incident

The River Lee in Cork. File picture: Eddie O'Hare

A woman in her 60s was rescued from the River Lee in Cork after an incident in the city centre on Tuesday.

Knocknaheeny woman Samantha Forde spoke about the rescue, saying she noticed a woman near the edge of the water in the Kyrl’s Quay area of the city.

Ms Forde said that she saw a woman near the steps of the river taking off her shoes and socks.

She said that she turned the car to go back and check on the woman.

“I jumped out of the car and I said ‘Woman, don’t do that. There’s other ways. Come on, take my hand’.

“She looked at me and said ‘It’s not me, there’s a body in the river’.” 

Ms Forde said that upon seeing the body she ran down the steps and along with the woman and another passer-by, they lifted the body up onto the steps.

Samantha Forde, who helped rescie a woman from the River Lee on Tuesday. Picture: RedFM

She told The Neil Prendeville Show on Cork's RedFM that it was a woman's body, adding: “I was up by her head, grabbing her by her arms and I could hear her breathing.

“I was shouting up to tell everyone to call emergency services. She’s still breathing.” 

Ms Forde said that they dragged the body of the woman out of the water and tried to cover her with clothes as she “was so cold”.

Ms Forde added that a medic who had been jogging nearby assisted with helping the woman.

Gardaí confirmed to the Irish Examiner that emergency services attended the incident yesterday.

They said that the woman “was conveyed to Cork University Hospital for treatment of her minor injuries as a result of this incident”.