The man got into difficulty in the water after falling from the boat at Arthur’s Quay, at around 3 pm.

Quagga mussels originate from Eastern Europe and can threaten native animals and plants.

Although not named in the MCIB report, the victim was Wassiou Ayawe Moran (19), a soccer player with Limerick FC, of Old Clare Street, Limerick city, who had bought the jet ski the previous day.

The man is understood to have been in the water for almost two hours and was spotted by the crew of the Waterford-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter, Rescue 117.

The man cage was attached to a crane mounted on a three axle rigid lorry.