Pawsome rescue lands local gardai top award

The quick-thinking actions of two local gardai were honoured yesterday (Tuesday) at Water Safety Ireland's National Awards ceremony after a dramatic lake rescue of a drowning dog in county Galway earlier this summer.

Loughrea-based officers Sgt Leo Kiernan from Monksland, along with Cornafulla Garda Niall Lennon, and their colleague Garda Mark Murphy, were recognised with a ‘Seiko Just in Time Rescue Award’ for their prompt action back in July, responding to a panicked and breathless dog walker, who had and tried and failed in water up to his waist to rescue the canine who was entangled in a lifebuoy and drowning.

Speaking to the Westmeath Independent on Tuesday, a very modest Sgt Leo Kiernan says they are pleased and proud to be honoured in this way given the calibre of other award winners in lifesaving situations.

Loughrea barracks backs onto the lake in the town, and he recalls the elderly man, who was actually walking the dog for his owner, a businessman in the town, running into the station in an absolute panic that day. His colleague Niall ran out the door to help and he followed with another colleague, Mark Murphy. By the time they arrived, the older man was back in the water but he was struggling to make any headway and was getting tired. The area, used to store boats, also has the dangers of sudden drops in water depth, and the officers were worried the elderly man himself was in jeopardy.

“Luckily, we managed to get a boat out there and cut the rope. We didn't even have to get wet. We're probably the only award recipients who didn't get wet,” Sgt Kiernan quips this week.

Since then, poignantly, the rescue has actually resulted in a bond between the elderly man and the gardai who they regularly check in on, and he even arrived with cake the day after the dramatic scenes as a thank you for their efforts.

Sgt Kiernan hopes the incident and the award will highlight water safety in Loughrea and is a nice starting point for them to put other measures in place.

The Minister for Rural & Community Development, Heather Humphreys acknowledged the rescue award recipients on Tuesday, praising the 67 rescuers in appreciation for saving 51 lives in 32 separate incidents.

“It is an honour to pay tribute to these deserving award recipients,” commented Minister Humphreys prior to the online ceremony. “Without their bravery, quick thinking and selflessness, the outcomes could have been very different.”