Mother who drowned while saving son off Cork coast to be buried in Poland

Joanna Wisinowska died last Sunday after she rushed into the water off Ballycroneen beach to help rescue her son who had gotten into difficulty

The remains of Joanna Wisinowska will be transported at a later date for burial in her hometown of Strzyzow in southern Poland for burial.

The young mother who drowned while saving her son off the Cork coast last weekend will be buried in her native Poland following a funeral service here.

The remains of Joanna Wisinowska will be brought to St Colman’s Church in Cloyne, East Cork, at 7pm on Friday for the service.

The devoted mother, her husband, Maciek, and their children, Stanley and Zosia, have lived in Cloyne for several years, and are said to have become “deeply rooted in the community” in that time.

Her remains will be transported at a later date for burial in her hometown of Strzyzow in southern Poland where her heartbroken parents, Alicia and Tadeus, and her sister Magdalenia, her brother-in-law Piotor, and nieces Laura, Otylia and Alice, and her wide circle of friends will attend.

Ms Wisinowska died last Sunday after she rushed in to the water off Ballycroneen beach, near Cloyne, to help rescue Stanley who had gotten into difficulty. She managed to help push him onto the safety of rocks before she herself got into difficulty.

Stanley was airlifted from the rocks but Ms Wisinowska was recovered from the water a short time later by the RNLI, before being airlifted to Cork University Hospital where she was later pronounced dead.

Fundraiser

By lunchtime Thursday, almost €28,000 had been donated to a GoFundMe account which was set up earlier this week to help defray funeral, repatriation and travel costs for her family.

The fundraising appeal was launched by Louise van Balderen, whose daughter was with Ms Wisinowska and her children at the beach on Sunday, and who helped raise the alarm.

Ms van Balderen said last Sunday was supposed to be “a quick trip to the beach and back again” and that since the tragedy struck, it’s been “like a bad dream that no-one can wake up from”.

She described Ms Wisinowska, who worked in the Castlemartyr Resort, as a “superwoman” for saving her son “in his time of need”.

In her appeal, she wrote: “Joanna you are a superwoman for saving your son in his time of need and he will never forget your heroism that has given him the opportunity to make you a very proud mommy.

“There is nothing more precious than a mother's love and unfortunately two beautiful children will not get to experience the full loving potential that Joanna wanted to, but won't have the chance to provide.” 

You can still donate to the fund here: Fundraiser by Louise Van Balderen : The family of Joanna Wisniowska.