Tipperary community fundraises following death of Freya Tobin (12) in swimming accident

Sarah Slater

A Co Tipperary community is rallying around the family of 12-year-old Freya Tobin, who died after getting into swimming difficulties in the river Suir last Friday, to help with funeral costs.

Freya, from Newcastle, Co Tipperary, had been in the water with her friend along the Suir Blueway at around 4.20pm.

It is understood that Freya, who died, along with another friend, both got into difficulty swimming around the same time. The dead girl’s friend managed to swim to safety and raise the alarm. A number of local boys heard the screams of the girls and dived into the water to help. The spot where the girls were swimming is known to have strong currents.

In a multi-agency response, Gardaí, National Ambulance Service personnel and firefighters from Clonmel Fire Station's swift water rescue team attended the scene.

Freya was transferred to Cork University Hospital (CUH) by the Irish Coast Guard Air and Sea Rescue 117 helicopter after being recovered from the water at around 4.45pm. The former sixth-class student of Scoil Mhuire Caisleán Nua National School died a short time later.

The deceased girl’s friend, who managed to swim to safety, was taken to South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel for treatment.

The fundraiser on gofundme.com, The Funeral of Freya Tobin, details how their community has been affected by the “devastating event” and describes Freya as the “kindest, most gentle soul to grace the community of Newcastle” and how her death leaves behind a “wave of deep sorrow and regret”.

Fundraising organisers added that their lives “drastically” changed forever.

“What should have been another day of summer holidays fun turned into an unimaginable nightmare. In what can only be described as a tragic and utterly devastating event, our beloved Freya drowned in the River Suir while swimming with her dear friend Emily,” they continued.

“There wasn't a single person who did not know her name, nor whom she wouldn't have said hello to when passing through the village. She touched the hearts of every single person that had the pleasure of knowing her, and you couldn't help but leave her company with a smile on your face. The biggest smile of all being on the face of her biggest admirer, her little brother Grayson.”

They describe how Freya made people laugh “uncontrollably” throughout the years with her sense of humour.

The organisers continued: “You couldn't possibly be a friend to her mother, Shannen, auntie Amber, uncle Dylan, without being Freya's friend also. Her presence was magnetic, and this is shown by just how many friends she has made for herself in our community and beyond. It's safe to say she had all of us wrapped around her finger, but particularly, her nanny Catríona and grandad OJ.

“Her death leaves behind a wave of deep sorrow and regret. The kind that such a small community will never truly recover from. In light of this, we want to come together as a community and help the Tobin family cover the costs of Freya's funeral. I hope we can rally together and give Shannen one less thing to worry about in these horrifically, troubling times”.

The community hopes to raise €12,000, and at the time of writing the fundraiser has raised over €14,000.

Her funeral arrangements are yet to be announced. Freya is survived by her mother Shannen, and her younger brother, Grayson.