THE 31-YEAR-old Polish man who is feared to have drowned in Ennis, Co Clare, had attempted to swim across a rapidly flowing section of the Fergus river in an act of bravado in front of friends.
A major search was launched on Wednesday evening and continued yesterday for the man, named as Przemyslaw Jablonski.
He had been attending a house party at an apartment at Springfield Court, Ennis. It is now believed he left the apartment and went to the riverbank with three friends where he attempted to swim to the other side. He left his shoes, mobile phone and cigarettes on the riverbank.
The river, which is about 20m wide at the point where Mr Jablonski jumped in, was greatly swollen following recent rain.
Rescuers said yesterday that the river's flow would have made it exceptionally difficult for even a strong swimmer to reach the other side.
The man was reported missing at about 7.30pm on Wednesday. However, it is understood he may have been unaccounted for for up to 20 minutes before the alarm was raised. As his friends watched him float downriver, one man ran along the riverbank in an effort to pull Mr Jablonksi to safety.
Clare County Council's water safety officer and head of Clare Civil Defence, Liam Griffin, said: "With the amount of rain we have had recently and with the swell of the river, they are more like winter conditions than summer. It could take a few days before this man's body is recovered."
A search-and-rescue operation was launched on Wednesday. As darkness fell it was called off, but resumed at 10am yesterday. Gardaí and the Doolin unit of the Irish Coast Guard were joined by divers from the local Burren Sub Aqua Club.
Mr Jablonski's friends, including one who was with him when he went into the river, were at the scene yesterday. It is understood Mr Jablonski is a separated father-of-one and that his former partner and child live in Poland. It is believed he has no family in Ireland.
Meanwhile, the 60-year-old French sailor airlifted from a yacht after sustaining a serious head injury on Wednesday morning has been transferred to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.
The man had earlier refused medical attention and turned away the Shannon-based Coast Guard helicopter that had gone to his aid.
The helicopter had to return to the yacht in Carrigaholt Bay an hour later after the Kilrush RNLI lifeboat crew expressed concern for his deteriorating condition.