Autopsy due on body of girl, 8, recovered from the water off Cork coast

The young girl got into difficulty while swimming in the water off Fountainstown Beach on Tuesday afternoon

A rescue helicopter at Fountainstown Beach, Co Cork on Tuesday. Picture: David Creedon

An autopsy is due to take place on the body of a young girl who was recovered from the water near Fountainstown Beach in Cork on Tuesday.

The alarm was raised at about 4.45pm when the girl, 8, who is understood to be from the area, got into difficulty in the waters off the beach.

Emergency services then began a search operation, which also involved the Coast Guard helicopter from Shannon along with the Crosshaven Coast Guard unit, the volunteer lifeboat crew from Crosshaven, gardaí from Crosshaven and Carrigaline, fire services, customs, and Mallow River Rescue.

Following a three-hour search, the young girl's body was spotted in the surf by the beach and subsequently recovered by an RNLI lifeboat at approximately 7.45pm.

Crosshaven Coastguard said that “crews worked tirelessly” after arriving on the scene.

“But unfortunately some time later a local person recovered her from the water after being washed ashore.

"She was transported by the Irish Coast Guard jeep to our local station where she was later met by her family."

The coroner was notified on Tuesday evening, and a post-mortem examination will take place at Cork University Hospital in due course.

Cork community 'broken again' after young girl's death - Coveney

Enterprise Minister and Cork TD, Simon Coveney, has said the community is “broken” after the young girl's death.

Speaking in Co. Wicklow ahead of a Cabinet meeting, Mr Coveney said it had been a summer of tragic deaths.

“We’ve also seen, particularly in my own home city of Cork, extraordinary tragedy again in the last 24 hours in terms of the drowning of a young eight-year-old girl,” he said.

Mr Coveney said it had been "a desperate summer in the context of tragedy involving children" both on the country's roads and in the water.

“The community is just broken again this morning," he added.

“On behalf of the Government I want to say our thoughts are with the family and the community and the children who are going to school today with an empty seat.”

Emergency services personnel at Fountainstown Beach on Tuesday. Picture: David Creedon

Local Fianna Fáil councillor Audrey Buckley, who lives close to Fountainstown Beach, said the tragedy is “absolutely devastating” for the local community.

Speaking on RTÉ radio's Morning Ireland, Ms Buckley said that because Tuesday was such a beautiful day, many children and their families had gone to Fountainstown Beach. However, she said what was supposed to be a fun family afternoon "turned into tragedy."

Ms Buckley said a vigil may be held in the area on Wednesday in memory of the young girl.

The death of the young girl comes in the wake of a number of deaths off the Cork coast in recent weeks.

On August 24, 14-year-old Jack O'Sullivan died after he got into difficulty while swimming with friends at Passage West.

On August 20, two men, Ivan Chittenden, 64, from Toronto, and Brendan Wall, 45, from Meath, died in separate incidents while competing in the swimming section of the Ironman event in Youghal.

Also, on Tuesday, a man in his 80s, died after taking ill at Curracloe Beach in Wexford.