Tributes have been paid to mother-of-two Natasha Core, who drowned while rescuing her son
An Irish mother-of-two tragically drowned after diving into a lake to save her young son.
Natasha Core, 29, died after getting into difficulty while rescuing her nine-year-old son at Lough Gowna, in Co Cavan on Wednesday, The Sun reports.
The latest tragedy occurred as more than two dozen people are reported to have lost their lives in drowning accidents across the UK in just one week, as experts warned the public to 'think before entering the water'.
The lake where Ms Core drowned was described by one local resident as 'dangerous'.
Speaking to The Irish Times, he said: 'It's very sad. No one swims in that particular part of the lake. There are steep shelves there and had they have gone up further to one of the other inlets those shelves may not have been there.'
Describing Ms Core - mother to two boys aged four and nine as a 'hero' - her brother Jason Mooney told Belfast Live: 'Lost for words. I can't get my head around it.
'She was an outgoing person, a good mother, she was all for her kids, down to earth - she was just a lovely person.'
Ms Core pictured with her boyfriend Joseph Donohoe, who posted a tribute on social media
A large-scale operation launched after 9pm involving the Coast Guard Helicopter, Fire services and Civil Defence, eventually recovered Ms Core's body, which was discovered around 15 to 20 feet from the shoreline.
Gardaà said they were treating it as a 'swimming accident'.
In a Facebook post, her boyfriend Joseph Donohoe wrote: 'R.I.P. to my girlfriend who sadly passed away last night, words can't describe how much I love and miss you. Already my heart is broke.
'Me and the boys love you to bits. I hope you get the best bed in heaven because you deserve it. You were the best mother to the boys anyone could ask for. I love you Tasha until we meet again.'
The freshwater Loch Gowna in Co Cavan, Ireland, where Natasha Core lost her life (file pic)
Irish politcian Niamh Smyth paid tribute on social media to Ms Core, alongside 15-year-old Killian Casey, who died on Tuesday after swimming in nearby Lough Sheelin.
She wrote on a Facebook post: 'Tragically we have lost two precious young people this week, Killian Casey and Natasha Core.
'Our thoughts and prayers are with their families and communities as they try to come to terms with such overwhelming loss and grief.'
A GoFundMe page was set up by Ms Core's cousin Anne-Marie Fox to help cover the costs of the funeral and had so far raised €8,899 (£7,619).
She wrote: 'Natasha tragically drowned saving her son's life. Natasha has left two young kids behind and anything you can donate will be really appreciated.
'We are so devastated and heartbroken over this tragic loss.'
The latest drowning occurred as 23 drownings were recorded this week across the UK amid soaring temperatures.
The UK's heatwave death toll hit 23 as Tyson Fury led the tributes to 16-year-old Frank Varey, a promising young boxer who was the latest to be killed in the water.
His body was pulled from the River Dee in Cheshire on Thursday, on the same day that three more deaths were confirmed.
A paddleboarder in his 30s died off the coast of Cornwall, a 19-year-old builder was killed in the water in the Yorkshire Dales while a 55-year-old father tragically drowned in front of his teenage children after the family were caught in a rip tide in North Yorkshire.
A lifesaving charity has warned the public to 'think before entering the water'.
The Royal Life Saving Society UK advised members of the public who aren't experienced in being in cold, open water to 'stay out, unless supervised'.
It tweeted on Wednesday: 'A weekend of truly tragic fatal drownings, now rising to an expected 11 lives lost.
'We are urging the public to please think before entering the water. If you aren't experienced in being in cold, open water then please stay out, unless supervised.'
It came as the RNLI released new figures showing that 54 children and teenagers were saved by its lifeguards last summer, with 64 per cent being aged 12 or under.
The charity said it responded to 3,981 incidents last month - up from 3,536 in June 2020 - and added that its lifeguards came to the aid of 12,344 under-18s overall between June and September last year.
Twenty-three people drown across UK in a week
Thursday, July 15
Hartlepool: Matthew Sherrington, 14, goes missing near Steetley Pier.
Saturday, July 17
Carlisle: Mohammad Abdul Hamid, 16, drowns after entering the River Eden.
Sunday, July 18
West Sussex: A 49-year-old man goes missing at Ardingley Reservoir.
Salford Quay: Ngapee Merenga, 19, disappears under the water while swimming with his friends.
Devon: The body of a woman in her 60s is pulled from Axmouth Harbour.
Derbyshire: A man's body was recovered from a disused quarry in Dove Holes, Buxton.
Witney: A teenage girl dies after drowning in Ducklington Lake.
York: The body of a man in his 50s was recovered from the River Ouse.
Sheffield: A man is found dead in a lake in Crookes Valley Park.
Monday, July 19
West Yorkshire: Body of a man was recovered from a lake at Pugneys Country Park in Wakefield.
County Down: Jay Moffett, 13, gets into trouble after entering a lake in Scarva.
Blackpool: A 29-year-old man is announced to have drowned after 'accidentally getting out of his depth'.
Tuesday, July 20
Derbyshire: Police divers and firefighters search the river in Swarkstone before a 16-year-old was found dead the next day.
Hertfordshire: A man drowned in a lake in Welwyn Garden City in the evening.
West Yorkshire: Caden Taylor, 15, was pronounced dead after jumping in a canal and failing to surface from the water.
Merseyside: Hamza Mansoor was swept away while swimming in the sea.
Cheshire: Officers searching for a missing 16-year-old boy find a body in the River Weaver.
Wednesday, July 21
Co Fermanagh: A 55-year-old man named locally as Peter Jones drowned at the Lough Melvin area.
Thursday, July 22
Cornwall: A man in his 30s was pronounced dead after being pulled from Crantock beach near Newquay
North Yorkshire: A 55-year-old father drowned in front of his two children in water near Filey
Cheshire: Promising boxer Frank Varey, 16, was confirmed dead after he went missing while swimming in the River Dee
Grassington: Builder Ben Marklew, 19, failed to surface after going swimming in a Yorkshire Dales beauty spot
Glossop: Emergency services launched a search operation at Torside Reservoir at around 10pm last night after reports of a man getting into difficultly in the water. A man's body was sadly found on Friday, July 23