A young student died following a drowning incident in Co Waterford on Friday afternoon.
He was with a number of people who got into difficulty in the sea in Ardmore at around 1.30pm.
The 21-year-old was part of a group swimming 150 meters out to sea at Whiting Bay in Ardmore when they got into difficulty.
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He has been named locally as Cian Nugent from Old Parish near Dungarvan in County Waterford.
Cian was an engineering student in University College Cork and is believed to have went to Ardmore with a group of friends for a swim for a break from his studies.
Local Councillor in Old Parish, Cllr Seamus O’Donnell said that the tight knit community ‘’is in total shock at the tragedy. I extend my sincere sympathy to Cian’s family’’.
Locals described Cian ‘’as a gentleman’’ who often returned home from college to help out on the family farm at weekends.
A member of the public raised the alarm and Youghal RNLI launched its inshore lifeboat at 1.25pm and the Irish Coast Guard rescue helicopter 117 was dispatched from Waterford.
Gardai and emergency services responded, and the Coast Guard rescued three people from the water - the other two left safely.
However, one of the men taken from the water, the man in his early 20s, was pronounced dead after being brought by air ambulance to Cork University Hospital.
It is understood there were five people in the water but two were rescued by the Coast Guard and the other two are believed to have made it safely to shore. The lifeboat began a search for the third swimmer and he was located in the water by Youghal RNLI.
In a statement from the RNLI, a spokesperson said: "Youghal RNLI was requested to launch its inshore lifeboat at 1.25pm following a request by the Irish Coast Guard to go to the aid of three swimmers thought to be difficulty 150m from the shore in Whiting Bay near Youghal Harbour. The alarm was raised by a member of the public.
"Two of the swimmers subsequently made it to shore unaided and the lifeboat began a search for the third swimmer. The Irish Coast Guard helicopter, Rescue 117 from Waterford was also tasked along with the Coast Guard shore units from Youghal and Ardmore.
"Youghal RNLI located the casualty and brought them onboard the lifeboat. The casualty was then airlifted by helicopter and transferred to Cork University Hospital."
The young man was airlifted to Cork University Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
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