Tragic Swimming Accident Claims Life of 14-Year-Old Boy in Cork

An afternoon at the beach always promises to be a joyful event but turned tragic for the family of a 14-year-old after a swimming accident. The unfortunate incident took place on Thursday and the entire community of Passage West was devastated upon hearing the news.

Authorities identified the 14-year-old- boy as Jack O’Sullivan, a resident of Togher, a locality in the southern part of Cork city. The incident happened when Jack was swimming off the boat pontoon at the Passage West with his friends, on a bright Thursday afternoon.

What went wrong?

It is here that he got into a mess according to his friends, who immediately signaled for help after they could not catch a sight of him. His friend rushed to look for him in the water and a local who also witnessed it all unfold, joined their search party.

The rescue operation lasted about two hours, and the team toiled hard to search for the body. They recovered it at around 4pm and took his body to the Cork University Hospital.

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Collective grief in Passage West

The community of Passage West is close-knit and each member is treated like family. The news of Jack’s passing certainly left all members shattered and there is a deep sense of sadness. Speaking to the media, local councilor Marcia D’Alton said,

“This is a close-knit community and there is a deep sense of sadness hanging over us like a cloud. Everyone is thinking of the family who received such terrible news, and we are praying for them.”

“The emergency services were stunningly efficient and were so quickly on the scene. They did everything they could to locate the boy so that he could be returned to his family,” 

The people of Passage West called him a great person with an infectious smile and someone that will always be remembered by all. His sudden and tragic demise has left a deep scar in their hearts and his friends especially.

A fun afternoon at the beach with their friend turned into nothing less than a nightmare.

The city of Wexford too was hit by a unfortunate swimming accident this week, after another 14-year-old was found motionless in his garden pool.

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