A MAN who died after getting into difficulty while swimming in the River Lee in Cork city has been named locally. The tragic incident happened on one of the hottest days of the year after two men decided to go for a swim yesterday. The dead man has been named locally as Luke Hyde, 30s, who lived in the city at Wolfe Tone Street. The two men entered the river near Pope's Quay shortly after 7pm. Shortly afterwards Hyde got into difficulty as he got caught up in a strong current. His pal managed to get out of the water and began calling for help. He bravely grabbed a life buoy and returned to the water to try to save Hyde. The incident was witnessed by many people who were out enjoying the evening sunshine and the emergency services were alerted. Gardai and units from the Cork City Fire Brigade were at the riverside within a very short time and successfully retrieved the second person from the river. He was examined at the scene by paramedics before being taken to a nearby hospital as a precaution. An Irish Coast Guard helicopter was tasked with helping in the search as well as coast guard personnel and gardai. Hyde’s body was recovered following a major search of the river and shoreline close to where the Lee enters the sea. TRAGIC EVENT The body was taken to Cork University Hospital morgue where a post mortem examination was completed on Thursday. The local coroner has been notified by gardai who are treating the incident as a tragic event. As the May bank holiday weekend approaches, Water Safety Ireland, the Coast Guard, and the RNLI are collectively urging the public to prioritise safety and be prepared for summer activities on or near the water. WATER SAFETY WARNING The organisations recommend that all boats and watercraft, including kayaks and canoes, be thoroughly inspected and maintained after the winter season. This includes servicing engines and ensuring all equipment, especially lifejackets, are in good condition. The advice is that when using a boat or other water vessel to always wear a lifejacket and carry reliable communication devices, such as a VHF radio and ideally a Personal Locator Beacon or Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, with a mobile phone in a waterproof case as a backup. It is also important to notify someone about planned routes and expected return times. The water safety organisations say that for water-based activities it is important to always have a means to communicate distress effectively: to check environmental conditions (weather and tides) using available information sources before your trip and to seek help immediately if you see somebody in trouble on the water or along the coast, or think they are in trouble, by using Marine VHF channel 16 or dialling 112 and asking for the Coast Guard. Swimmers also should be aware water temperatures remain cold at this time of year, so consider wearing a wetsuit to stay warm, acclimatise to the water slowly, wear a bright swimming cap and consider using a tow float to enhance your visibility and never swim alone always ensuring activity is monitored by a companion. 'FLOAT TO LIVE' Linda-Gene Byrne, RNLI Water Safety Lead says: "It’s great to see that water and beach leisure time has increased over the years as people enjoy the water. However our research shows that 36 per cent of people don’t know what to do if they get into trouble in the water. "The RNLI is reminding everyone to remember Float To Live if they find themselves in trouble in water by tilting your head back with ears submerged and try to relax and control your breathing. Use your hands to help you stay afloat. Then, once you are through the initial shock, call for help or swim to safety if you can." If you see somebody in trouble on the water or along the coast, or think they are in trouble, use Marine VHF channel 16 or Dial 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.