A TEENAGER DROWNED at a lake in county Roscommon last night while out swimming with friends.
The 19-year-old man was with two others at Drinaun Lake near Strokestown when an alarm was raised at about 8pm. All three swimmers were reported missing.
The Coast Guard was deployed to the scene and a search was conducted with the assistance of the Shannon Rescue Helicopter and local fishing boats. Divers were also used throughout the operation.
Two of the swimmers were brought to safety, but the body of the deceased was recovered just after midnight and taken to Roscommon County Hospital.
It is the fourth drowning to be reported this week. Last night, reports of a 10-year-old’s death off the Cork coast were confirmed. Earlier in the week, a 17-year-old boy drowned in the Liffey at Celbridge in county Kildare and, in Limerick, a 21-year-old woman died in a drowning incident at the River Feale.
Public appeals have been issued for people to be mindful when in and around bodies of water. Gardaí have also warned people not to swim in disused quarries.
According to Irish Water Safety, about 140 people drown in Ireland each year. In a statement issued at the beginning of the current hot weather spell, the agency said the conditions “lull people into a false sense of security”.
The IWS warned that there is an ever present danger that people will drown even in close proximity to shore and near other water users. It asks people only to swim in areas that have lifeguards.
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