The Cork community is mourning the death of 33-year-old Luke Hyde, who drowned in the River Lee last Wednesday. His funeral is scheduled for Monday.
Hyde, a resident of Wolfe Tone Street, encountered trouble while swimming near St Mary’s Church by Pope’s Quay around 6:45 p.m. Emergency crews arrived quickly, and responders recovered his body from the river shortly after. Doctors completed a postmortem at Cork University Hospital.
Luke’s mother, Lily Hyde, expressed deep grief and anger over how some people responded to the tragedy. Speaking on the Neil Prendeville Show on Cork’s RedFM, she criticized bystanders who chose to film the scene instead of helping.
“It was like a circus, watching my son drown instead of helping him,” she said. “When I arrived, they were putting him in the ambulance. Crowds had gathered, and I didn’t know what was going on. I begged, ‘I need to hold my boy. I need to see him.’ I don’t know what his last words were. Did he call my name?”
She had called Luke’s phone after hearing a rescue helicopter overhead, but a garda answered. That moment confirmed her worst fears.
“What has the world come to? Morons. I don’t even think there’s a word strong enough. I will never forget it. It’s burned into me forever.”
Family Endures Another Loss
This marks the second devastating loss for Lily Hyde. In 2019, her son Brian died in his sleep. Luke, the youngest of her children, would have turned 34 next month. Just days before the tragedy, he had started a new job at Tesco in Douglas.
He leaves behind his young son Leon, his mother Lily, and siblings Michael, Mark, and Lucia. Luke was also mourned by extended family and many close friends. His brother Brian and father Michael passed before him.
During a visit to Cork last Friday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin addressed the tragedy and offered his condolences. He condemned those who stood by and filmed instead of offering assistance.
“It’s a tragic reflection of modern life,” he said. “Two men went swimming. Both got into difficulty. One managed to get out and raise the alarm.
“A fire officer said they couldn’t understand why no one threw a lifebuoy. People were too busy filming. That’s heartbreaking for any family.”
Final Farewell
Luke Hyde’s Requiem Mass will take place at 10 a.m. on Monday at the North Cathedral in Cork. He will be buried at St Catherine’s Cemetery in Kilcully.
