Tributes continue to be paid to a Roscommon brother and sister who lost their lives in a drowning accident in Kerry yesterday evening.
Dessie Byrne from Lecarrow and Baylough and his sister Muriel Eriksson who lived in Sweden had been swimming at Ballybunion beach at around 6 o'clock yesterday.
Omar Fitzell from the Ballybunion Sea and Cliff rescue says emergency services reacted within moments of the alert:
"Everything that could be done was done on the day. The response from the rescue services and emergency services was phenomenal and as I said, we had ourselves, the coastguard, community air ambulance first responders, gardai, we had the coastguard helicopter. everything that could have been done, was done.
The South Roscommon community remains in shock this evening, with locals paying tribute to the members of the well-known family.
Local councillor Laurence Fallon says that the community will do whatever it takes to care for and support Dessie's and Muriel's families following the tragedy:
"I want to assure them all that the community are willing to stand by and help in whatever way they can help and are only waiting to do whatever they can do.
This family was part and parcel of the community and as always our community will come together to help in whatever way we can, bearing in mind this is an unspeakable tragedy for the family but whatever can be done will be done I've no doubt about that.
