A HEARTBROKEN MOTHER has paid an emotional tribute to her teenage son who drowned while swimming in County Westmeath.

Martin Greene (15) from Brawny Close, Athlone drowned after getting into difficulty in Lough Ree, outside Athlone, yesterday evening.

Gardaí and emergency services responded to reports of a person in difficulty in the water off Carnakilla Point, at Portlick in Glasson, shortly after 7.30pm on Saturday.

Following a search operation that is believed to have lasted for a little over an hour, the boy was recovered from the water but was pronounced dead at the scene.

The multi-agency response to the incident involved the Irish Coast Guard, Lough Ree RNLI, the Gardaí, the ambulance service, and civil defence.

The boy was removed to the mortuary at Mullingar Hospital, where a post-mortem examination will be arranged, and a file will be prepared for the coroner.

In an emotional tribute Rona’s mother Yvonne who had earlier appealed for people not to post photos of her son on social media wrote ‘’My poor baby I love you. My heart is broke son’’.

Other family members also paid tribute. His cousin Rosanne McDonagh wrote ‘’my auntie Yvonne my heart is broken. RIP beautiful cousin Martin. Rest in peace cant believe this. God help your sister Caroline, brothers Peter and John’’.

Martin was a third year Student at Athlone Community College. One of his teachers wrote ‘’ I had the pleasure of teaching Martin in Athlone Community College.

A pleasant young man who always had a smile on his face. On the rugby pitch he had so much talent and skill. Always enjoyed trips away with the rugby lads. We had many days of laughter as coaches and players together’’.

Martin is predeceased by his father John, his grandparents Peter, Christopher & Christina .

He is survived by his mother Yvonne, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, grandmother, relatives and many friends.

In an emotional message on rip.ie his family wrote ‘’May he rest in peace. You will Never Walk Alone’’. No funeral arrangements have been made as yet.