Student Garda saves drowning man in Dun Laoghaire 28/03/2008 - 17:10:32
A brave young student Garda went into the icy waters off Dun Laoghaire pier to help rescue a drowning man, it emerged today.
The alarm was raised shortly after 10pm yesterday by passers-by and one of the first gardaí on scene was Diarmuid Moriarty, a 20-year-old probationary officer assigned to Dun Laoghaire.
He was lowered 25ft into the sea by colleagues after realising the 44 year-old was beginning to lose consciousness.
He stayed in the water clinging to the man for around 15 minutes while a crew from Dun Laoghaire RNLI arrived.
An RNLI spokesman said: “It was very dark and in underneath the number one berth at the east pier.
“There was a life ring being held by other guards at the berth and he [Garda Moriarty] was holding on to that and just barley able to hold the man.
“We were then able to grab the casualty and hauled him into the boat.”
“Key to it all was the guard jumping into the water,” he said.
Following the daring rescue Garda Moriarty, from Co Limerick, returned to work and finished his shift.
Gardaí said the rescued man was brought to St Vincent’s Hospital where he is expected to make a full recovery.
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