Death of swimmer at Lough Hyne near Skibbereen

THE Community air ambulance was tasked to Lough Hyne near Skibbereen just after noon today.

The air ambulance attended, along with other members of the emergency services, after a man was seen in difficulty in the water. He was later pronounced dead.

An ambulance, members of the fire brigade and local gardaí also attended the scene and the road to the main pier was closed for a time.

It is believed the man may have suffered a heart attack. Members of a local swimming group acted swiftly and employed the use of a defibrillator which had been installed at the main pier.

The air ambulance landed at nearby Lough Hyne House and a number of paramedics carried out CPR at the scene.

The man, a local businessman and keen and expert swimmer, was in his mid-fifties, and well-known locally.