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.
Gardaí 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
