Searches will resume today for the bodies of two men and a woman, reported missing after jumping into the River Slaney in Co Wexford at different times over the last eight days.
The bodies of two other men who entered the river in recent days have been recovered while a sixth man, who was rescued, is recovering in hospital.
The spate of incidents, all of which are believed to have been unconnected, has shocked the people of the south-east, most especially the people of Enniscorthy, where four of the men entered the river.
"There is an atmosphere over the town. The town is under a cloud at this stage," said Mr Niall Holohan, the owner of a pub overlooking the river. "The only conversation is about the events that have happened over the past week."
Those events began on Monday of last week when a man in his late 30s and the father of two children was seen entering the river off a bridge in Enniscorthy around 9 p.m. He is still missing.
On Friday night last at 1.30 a.m., a 27-year-old single man was seen entering the river, also off the bridge. His body was recovered the next morning and he was laid to rest yesterday in the nearby village of Clonroche.
At 1.35 a.m. on Sunday morning a 35-year-old man, married but separated, was also seen entering the river from the bridge. He is still missing.
Just over two hours later at 4 a.m., a 39-year-old foreign national jumped into the river, also from the bridge. He was rescued by a local man and is recovering at Wexford General Hospital.
In another incident, at 11 p.m. on Sunday night, gardaí got a call that a 21-year-old man had entered the river at Bunclody, about 13 miles away. His body was recovered two hours later.
And yesterday afternoon the Slaney River Rescue Service began searching the river in Wexford after it was reported to them that a woman had entered the river off a bridge in the town. Local gardaí, however, said this incident had not been reported to them.
Throughout yesterday, a Garda sub-aqua unit joined the local rescue service and dozens of civilians in combing the river for those still missing.
Mr Harry O'Connor, chairman of Slaney River Rescue, appealed to landowners with farms bordering the river to search for the bodies. He also appealed for anyone with a boat to join the rescue.
Sgt Mick Morrisey said the incidents were "beyond comprehension". "Nobody knows what to make of it. It's not the normal run of the mill here. The last one [death in the river] we had was three years ago next February."
A parish priest in the town, Father John Ower, said there was a lot of pressure on young people and they didn't seem to be able to handle it.
"People are disillusioned. You could hear a pin drop. There is a gloom over the whole area. People aren't bothering to go out at night. There's no spirit," he said.
Mr Holohan said there were a lot of emotions. "One is shock, obviously. The other part is disgust at the fact that there are people sensationalising it. The media hasn't helped. We fear the more coverage it gets, the more it's seen as the thing to do."
The South Eastern Health Board set up a freephone helpline yesterday for all those affected by the traumatic events. Its number is 1800 455 120 and it is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Today also, from 3 to 5 p.m., professional counsellors will be available at Enniscorthy health centre.