'They were just videoing him' - Mother of son who drowned tells RTE no one helped

Elizabeth Hyde lost her son Luke Hyde in a tragic incident recently and spoke out on RTE's Upfront with Katie Hannon after videos of the incident circulated online.

Luke Hyde, a 34-year-old man, drowned in the River Lee in Cork when he went out swimming with another man.

"I don't think I can ever move on from it," Elizabeth Hyde said on RTE's Upfront with Kate Hannon as she recalled the devastating night.

"My child died without anyone trying to help....he could be here with me today if someone had tried."

"I am devastated and I'll never move on from that because that picture is infront of me the whole time..my beautiful son drowning while they were just videoing him and streamlining it."

Elizabeth said that herself and Luke were very close and she started to worry that night when she tried calling Luke and he didn't answer his phone.

When Elizabeth rang Luke's phone again she got an answer.

It was An Garda Siochana who answered Luke's phone and told her "it's not looking good."

"I just went crazy," Elizabeth said, "I ran out on the street screaming....the banshee wouldn't have screamed as loud as me. I ran out screaming 'someone help me....my son is dead in the river'".

Elizabeth ran down in her bare feet to the river where she seen the fire brigades and ambulances and gardaí and "hundreds and hundreds of people".

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Elizabeth broke in tears as she recalls the tragic event of losing her son Luke.

"I've got to go down and hold my son," she said that night, "I need to hold him....because I know he was calling his mam before he drowned."

Luke's tragic death was videos and circulated online. His mother Elizabeth is calling on legislation to be enforced to put a stop to this, according to RTE.

"I can't get away from the vision of it... My beautiful son drowning, while they just videoed him."

Luke Hyde's death was filmed and posted online. His mother Elizabeth is calling for legislation to put a stop to this. #RTEUpfront pic.twitter.com/0gFNRSgBcT

— RTÉ One (@RTEOne) May 27, 2025