Gardaí seek public assistance as they investigate death of man who drowned in river Lee in Cork

Gardaí in Cork have appealed to the public for their assistance as they investigate how a man in his 50s drowned in the river Lee the early hours of Thursday morning.

Gardaí believe that the man ended up in the north channel of the Lee near the Shandon bridge at the junction of Lavitt’s Quay and Cornmarket Street between 1am and 1.30am on Thursday.

The river was in heavy flood as a result of torrential rain in the Lee valley catchment area on Wednesday and the man’s body was recovered a short distance downstream of the pedestrian bridge at about 6pm on Thursday by a unit of Cork City Fire Brigade.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was removed to Cork University Hospital for a postmortem examination which was carried out by State pathologist Dr Sally Anne Collis. Gardaí are not releasing the results, for operational reasons.

According to a Garda source, investigators want to clarify a small number of issues in relation to the man’s death as they understand he had been involved in a row at his home in the city centre a short time earlier and had reported the matter to gardaí.

Investigators have appealed to anyone who was on Lavitt’s Quay or Pope’s Quay or their environs between 1am and 1.30am on Thursday and has any information as to how the man entered the river to contact them.

They are particularly anxious to speak to anyone who may have been driving on either quay and has dashcam footage to contact them at the Bridewell Garda station, Cork on 021 494 3330, Anglesea Street Garda station at 021 452 2000 or any Garda station.