Natalie Katilius was pulled from the River Shannon in critical condition during the early hours of January 2 

Natalie Katilius, a single mother of one in Co Limerick, is being remembered fondly after she was discovered in the River Shannon during the early hours of January 2.

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A gardai spokesperson said in a statement on January 2: “At approximately 3:45 am, Gardaí and Emergency Services were called to the scene following reports of a female, discovered in difficulty in the water at Steamboat Quay, Limerick.

“After being rescued from the water, the female was taken to University Hospital Limerick where she was later pronounced dead.

“A post mortem is scheduled to take place at a later date. Enquiries are ongoing.”

Gardai additionally said that they are not treating her death as suspicious at this time.

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Katilius, who was in her 30s, leaves behind a teenage daughter as well as scores of heartbroken friends, coworkers, and family. As a model, Katilius was previously the face of several campaigns for Shannon Airport before she turned to focus her attention on charity work as a project manager with Novas based in Co Limerick.

In a statement, Novas said: "We are all deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Natalie.

"She was a much-liked and valued member of staff by both clients and colleagues.

"We are thinking of her family and friends at this tragic time. May she Rest In Peace."

In 2018, Katilius raised funds online for ADAPT Domestic Abuse Services. She said in a post, "Thrilled to be partaking in such a worthy cause to raise awareness for domestic abuse."

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Fiona Doyle, friend and former modeling manager at Glamour Agency,  told the Irish Mirror that Katilius had “a big heart."

“We are all heartbroken, what a beautiful girl. She was such a dear friend, I just don’t what happened to be honest. I want Natalie to be remembered as the beautiful person she was and that I know,” Doyle said.

“She was one of the kindest friends, she was always there, and she was always great fun. She was a fabulous model and a loyal friend. She was fun-loving, and to talk about her is so hard, I can’t believe it.

“She was the best looking woman in Limerick, she had legs to beat the band, and, walking into places, the fellas jaws would just drop. People will remember her as being such a beauty, a striking girl.

“I’ve been looking back over photos and we are smiling in every single photo. Natalie and I would have been friends for nearly 20 years, she was great, she loved the camera, and she loved life.

“She was an amazing model, she was just gorgeous. She had everything going for her, and her daughter was just beautiful, and her sister Kayla models with the agency as well. She was just a true, true, friend.

“This is heartbreaking. She was such a beautiful girl and she’s gone. There are no words really, we are just shocked.

“I know her mum and family very well, and they are all just heartbroken, it’s just hard to believe.

“She was a head-turner and had a beautiful smile, a big heart, and a beautiful soul. She was just such a lovely person.”

Doyle added that Katilius had left the modeling agency about a year ago “to spread her wings,” a move that Doyle says she “encouraged.”

“She was working with Novas. She went back to college, she was brilliant, she went back to study to be a social worker. She was also big into her training and fitness too.

"She would be in the gym at 6 am when the rest of us would be turning over for our second sleep, so she was quite active and looked after herself.

“This has completely bowled me over. She had looks, and brains to burn. She was fabulous, it’s devastating.

“We’ll always remember her as a fun-loving, kind, loyal friend. Everyone in the agency, and all the girls consider her a great buddy, and she’ll be sadly missed. There will be a big void for a lot of the girls, they were mad about her, she had a big heart.”