Tragedy as body is pulled from river nine days after 'freak accident' involving man - following deaths of his brother and mother
Shea McCabe, from County Tyrone, disappeared in the early hours of December 18 near the Brian Boru Bridge in what his family have described as a 'freak accident'.
By PERKIN AMALARAJ, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER
Published: 20:09 GMT, 29 December 2025 | Updated: 20:10 GMT, 29 December 2025
The body of a young man has been pulled from a river in Ireland's County Cork nine days after reports that someone had entered the water.
Shea McCabe, from County Tyrone, disappeared in the early hours of December 18 near the Brian Boru Bridge in what his family have described as a 'freak accident'.
Emergency services, including gardai, members of the Coast Guard, Cork City firefighters, the National Ambulance Service, CCMPSR, Mallow Search and Rescue, Irish Search Dogs and Blackwater and Cork Sub Aqua clubs' recovery teams, launched a major rescue operation to find him.
They scoured the River Lee, as well as Lough Mahon and the Cork Harbour areas over the Christmas period.
But the operation came to an end on Boxing Day, after the the Crosshaven Coast Guard crew confirmed they had stood down their search, with Mallow Search and Rescue revealing they had 'detected an image' on a sonar.
Crosshaven Coast Guard said in a statement: 'This was a huge team effort and has not stopped until we had closure.
'We would like to thank the countless members of the public for their support along the way, and as always, all the agencies involved coming together to draw this to a close as quickly and safely as possible'.
McCabe's family said in a GoFundMe page set up to help pay for funeral and transportation costs: 'Shea’s body now needs to be brought home from Cork to Pomeroy, and we want nothing more than to lay him to rest with dignity and love'.
Shea McCabe, from County Tyrone, (pictured) disappeared in the early hours of December 18 near the Brian Boru Bridge in what his family have described as a 'freak accident'
Stacey McCabe, who is Shea's sister, said that the family has experienced much tragedy over the past few years.
She wrote: 'Our family lost Shea's brother Jason in October 2023 & our mother just 7 months later in May 2024.
'Coping with so much loss in such a short space of time has been unbearable for our family'.
The fundraising campaign has so far seen nearly £12,500 donated.
The family are hoping to raise £22,000.
Stacey wrote in the GoFundMe: 'Any donation, no matter how small, will help ease the financial pressure so our family can focus on grieving and honouring Shea’s memory. If you are unable to donate, please keep Shea and our family in your thoughts and prayers and share this page.'