‘He lost his life helping to save others’: Man who died after getting into difficulty at Cork beach is named 

A man aged in his 50s died after getting into difficulty at Inch Beach in East Cork yesterday afternoon.

It is understood he had gone to the aid of a number of young people who were in the water.

The man has been named locally as Stephen O’Callaghan from the St Luke’s area in Cork city.

The Irish Coast Guard in Valentia, Co Kerry, said they had received a notification that five people had got into difficulty in the water off Inch Beach around 3pm on Friday.

“The search and rescue Coast Guard units at Guileen and Crosshaven along with the RNLI from Ballycotton and Crosshaven were alerted,” a spokesperson for the Coast Guard said.

“Rescue Helicopter 117 from Waterford was also tasked to go to the scene.

“Gardaí and the Fire Service were also at the scene and assistance was offered by the Irish Naval Service.”

The spokesperson said that four people were rescued from the sea by members of the public and one person was subsequently recovered from the water in a serious condition.

The man was taken from the water by a member of the coast guard and a member of a local surf school just after 3.30pm and brought ashore.

He was attended by paramedics on the beach and subsequently transferred by the National Ambulance Service to Cork University Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

A garda spokesperson said gardaí had responded to the call at around 3pm. 

"A number of people had gotten into difficulty in the water at the location," a statement from gardaí said. 

"A man, aged in his 50s, was removed from the water. He was later pronounced deceased.

"Arrangements will now be made for a post-mortem and the local coroner has been notified."

Midleton-based Fianna Fáil county councillor Ann Marie Ahern said there was “a cloud” over east Cork on Friday evening following the news. 

“The community is trying to come to terms with this tragic situation, and there’s a real sense of shock and disbelief in the area,” she said.

“Your heart would just go out to the loved ones of the person who lost their life helping to save other people.

“His own safety wasn’t thought of when he was trying to save other people’s lives, which is the most commendable thing you could say about anyone.”