Carlow garda who pulled woman from the Barrow receives national award
Gardai Colman Curran and Brendan Murphy, who successfully rescued a woman from the River Barrow
THE heroism of two Athy gardaí who entered the River Barrow not once, but twice, to rescue a woman in the river in August were recognised at Water Safety Ireland’s National Annual Awards Ceremony at the Hibernia Conference Centre, Dublin Castle last Thursday, 3 October.
The two officers were lauded after they saved the life of a woman from the River Barrow on Saturday lunchtime, 3 August, after gardaí in Athy received a call from a member of the public alerting them that they had just seen a woman enter the river. Garda Colman Curran and Garda Brendan Murphy, a former inter-county player with Carlow, were on duty and made it there within minutes, but could see that the woman was in serious difficulty in the water, as she was being quickly carried downstream by the strong current.
Garda Curran entered the water and brought the woman to safety with the assistance of Garda Murphy.
The woman re-entered the water and was carried downstream by the current. Garda Curran re-entered the water, caught up with her and held on to her while Garda Murphy threw a ring buoy to Garda Curran. Garda Murphy successfully pulled both Garda Curran and the female to safety and she made a full recovery.
“As gardaí, we’re trained to keep people safe but we’re still all human and sometimes when we’re faced with a challenging situation like this one, they won’t always have this positive of an outcome,” said a garda spokesperson.
“We’re immensely proud of Garda Colman Curran and Garda Brendan Murphy for their swift, brave and considered actions.” A total of 19 lives were saved from drowning by the 32 rescuers who were recognised in the ceremony in Dublin Castle.
Minister Anne Rabbitte acknowledged these recipients of the ‘Seiko Just in Time Award’ for saving 19 lives at risk of drowning. “I want to commend the valiant efforts of these individuals who saved others from drowning and to also pay tribute to the ongoing work of Water Safety Ireland volunteers who teach swimming and water rescue skills,” she said.
Water Safety Ireland CEO Joanne Walsh commented: “We all know that safety is a small investment required for the delivery of a rich future and in order to make this happen we need everyone to be water safety aware and water safety conscious. Drownings can happen quickly and silently, but with the right knowledge, skills and attitudes everyone can avoid the hazards and take responsibility for their own safety.
