'People were recording, photographing and videoing' as man was in difficulty in River Lee

Calls not to record at the scene of incidents have been made following a tragic drowning in the River Lee on Wednesday night.

The body of a man, who has since been named as 33-year-old Luke Hyde, was recovered from the River Lee.

The alarm was raised at around 7pm on Wednesday after two men went swimming in the northern channel of the River Lee at Pope’s Quay. Both got into difficulty, one managed to get out and raise the alarm but his friend sank and was carried downstream.

A search and rescue operation was launched for Mr Hyde, with Victor Shine, second officer at Cork City Fire Brigade, describing the incident as “a terrible tragedy”.

He told The Echo that a large number of people were recording Mr Hyde in difficulty and the rescue operation. Some people had livestreamed the tragic incident online.

Mr Shine said: 

“People were recording, photographing and videoing the whole event – during the operation, crowds were encroaching into the area of rescue and had to be literally pushed back.

“People were lifting the cordon and coming under it to get a better look – this type of thing is getting worse lately. In the past, people would have appreciated the cordon was there for a reason.

“The mother of the man ran down to the scene, and she saw what was going on with the crowds all gathered and recording – it was awful.”

Speaking on the Neil Prendeville Show on Corks RedFM this morning, Luke’s mother Elizabeth Hyde questioned why a person would stand by and film her son drowning rather than try to help.

She said this is the second son she has lost in five years, and that the memory of people livestreaming the event “will never leave me”.

She explained that Luke had suffered problems with alcohol in the past, having lost his father suddenly, who he was very close with, but “fought hard” and had just started a new job recently.

Ms Hyde said he told her: “Mam, I’ll sort my life out now, I’m getting my life together, I have a job and this time couple of years I’ll have €40,000 in my bank – I’m going to make it.” 

When she heard the news, she said she “ran down the street screaming”, and saw the amount of people with their phones out recording as he was pulled from the water.

She asked why those who filmed didn’t “try and get something to save him, a life buoy or something”, saying: 

“I don’t know if I’ll ever come through this, my son drowning and all those people watching on – I hope they’re listening to this broken hearted mother.”