By Sarah Curran
TRIBUTES have been paid to a sea swimmer who died off Helen’s Bay ‘doing what she loved’.
Carryduff woman Rosa Parkes, who was in her 60s, had been swimming in Helen’s Bay last Saturday, when she got into difficulty in the water, along with two others.
Described as a ‘devoted grandmother’, Mrs Parkes is understood to have been a regular swimmer at the local beauty spot.
Mrs Parkes was taken to hospital, where she later died. Her death is not being treated as suspicious, the police have said.
A notice on Funeral Times cites that the Carryduff woman ‘died 24th January 2026, doing what she loved’, adding ‘may she rest in peace and keep swimming in heaven’.
Several onlookers reportedly tried to help the trio, including one who went into the water Coastguard Rescue Teams from Bangor and Portaferry were tasked to the incident, along with an HM Coastguard Incident Commander.
Bangor Lifeboat was also requested to launch, and a Coastguard Rescue Helicopter from Scotland also attended the scene.
Also present at the incident were two emergency crews, a rapid response paramedic, a Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), a critical care paramedic, an ambulance officer, the Air Ambulance and the PSNI. The other two people who got into difficulty in the water were also taken to hospital.
A PSNI spokesperson said: “Police received a report that the Coastguard had removed three people from the water. One woman was taken to hospital where sadly she has since died. Her death is not being treated as suspicious.”
Senior Coastal Operations Officer Ryan Gray extended sincere thanks to members of the public who acted ‘quickly’ and ‘selflessly’ to assist those in difficulty, and whose actions played an ‘important role’ in supporting the rescue operation.
North Down UUP MLA Alan Chambers understood the woman was a regular swimmer at Helen’s Bay. “Helen’s Bay is not known for dangerous currents,” he said. “But it is susceptible to changes in wind direction and Belfast Lough can get quite choppy.
“I think the beach is reasonably sheltered from most wind directions but there is reported to be a westerly wind which can whip the water up and the wind direction can change pretty quickly.”
Having watched a video of the aftermath of the rescue, he said the waves of three to four feet high were breaking on the beach at the time.
“All interaction with the sea must be approached with caution as conditions can change so quickly,” he said.
“My information is that the lady who died would have been a regular swimmer in that location. If you go down any day of the week and there are swimmers there and they are all very safety conscious.
“They swim in groups and they always have one of the big fluorescent floats with them. My thoughts are with the grieving family and those who tried to rescue them.”
He also praised the ‘brave’ passers-by who went into the water to try and rescue Mrs Parkes.
A funeral service of celebration is planned for Wednesday, February 4, at Saintfield Road Presbyterian Church at noon. The family have asked funeral-goers wear colourful and floral clothing, with donations, in lieu of flowers, to the RNLI.
