Woman dies after trying to rescue son from sea in East Cork

Gardaí were alerted to the incident at Ballycroneen Beach near Cloyne, Co Cork, shortly before 1pm

The woman in her 30s was airlifted by Coast Guard Helicopter to Cork University Hospital but gardaí have since confirmed that she has died. Picture: John Hennessy

A woman in her 30s has died following an incident at an East Cork beach on Sunday afternoon.

It’s understood a major rescue operation was launched after the alarm was raised at around 12.15pm. It's believed the woman entered the water after seeing her son get into difficulty swimming just off Ballycroneen Beach.

Units from the Ballycotten RNLI, the Crosshaven RNLI and the Irish Coast Guard, including Rescue Helicopter 117, all assisted in the large-scale operation.

The young boy was rescued from rocks located off the shore and sustained non-life threatening injuries. He was winched and brought ashore by R117, while the woman was brought back to Ballycotten pier by the RNLI in an operation overseen by the Irish Coast Guard.

Gardaí said that the woman was then airlifted by the Coast Guard to Cork University Hospital, where her condition was critical.

The woman has since passed away, a garda spokesperson said. It is understood she was living in nearby Cloyne but not originally from the area.

Gardaí added that investigations remain ongoing at this time.

A local Fine Gael councillor said the community would rally together in the wake of such a tragedy.

Michael Hegarty said: “It was horrible to hear the news this afternoon. All our thoughts and prayers are with them.”