Good samaritan saves ‘miracle’ sisters

The neighbour who saved two elderly sisters from almost certain death from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning has described them as "two miracles".

Angela Marshall, from the Rock Steps off Blarney Street in Cork, spoke of her relief yesterday as retired shopkeepers Noreen, 82, and Eileen Naughton, 92, continued their recovery in Cork University Hospital (CUH) from their brush with death in their home on Saturday.

“Their sister-in-law told me they are starting to come through,” Ms Marshall said. “It’s just outstanding. They are just two miracles as far as I am concerned and I am absolutely over the moon that they are recovering.”

The Irish Examiner has learned the sisters may have succumbed to the fumes from a coal-burning stove the previous night and lain prone overnight — making their survival even more remarkable.

Some neighbours said they were concerned about the length of time it took the ambulances to arrive at the scene, with unconfirmed reports that there was no available ambulance in the city, and the nearest emergency vehicle had to travel from Kanturk.

However, the HSE confirmed last night that following an initial request from gardaí at 9.23am for an ambulance, an emergency vehicle arrived at the scene at 9.43am. The HSE said ambulance control received a second request from gardaí at the scene at 9.57am for another ambulance which arrived at the house at 10.22am.

The Naughton sisters were described by neighbours as “absolute ladies”, hugely respected and very popular, who are part of the fabric and history of Blarney Street. They have lived in the area all their lives, and ran a small grocery shop until the introduction of the euro in 2001, when they retired. Today, they live in the building where the shop once was.

Although the Naughtons have home help visits Monday to Friday, Ms Marshall, who lives just around the corner, phones them every day and calls to their home regularly.

Hero Angela Marshall, who saved 2 elderly sisters from death, has urged people to check on elderly neighbours #Cork pic.twitter.com/vjQ3SnQqSo

— Eoin English (@EoinBearla) November 30, 2014

But she knew something was wrong when she called as usual at 8.30am on Saturday and got no response.

“They would be expecting me but I got no response on Saturday,” she said. “I opened the letter box and got a terrible smell. It was a horrible, horrible smell. I knew it wasn’t right.”

She shouted to a man across the road to phone gardaí, with four officers arriving within minutes.

“I told them they were going to have to break down the door,” Ms Marshall said.

“It’s a big heavy door and it took them a good bit of time to get it down. They had to take a run at it, and kick in down. But they were great.”

Inside, they found Eileen lying unconscious on the floor of the front room near the stove. Noreen was unconscious in a chair nearby.

However, their conditions were described last night as “comfortable” and both are expected to recover fully.

Last night, relatives of the sisters thanked Ms Marshall, the gardaí and neighbours.

In a statement, they described Angela as a “true hero”.

“We are so grateful to Angela not just for the kindness she shows Eily and Noreen on a daily basis but also for her quick-thinking in contacting the gardaí on Saturday,” they said. “She definitely saved their lives.”

Elderly care

Community leaders say the Naughton sisters’ miracle rescue is a timely reminder of how important it is to check on elderly neighbours.

Tom Coleman, the chairman of the Blarney Street and Surrounding Areas Community Association, said the incident also highlights the importance of carbon monoxide alarms.

“I think there should be a Government grant scheme to help elderly people in particular, get carbon monoxide alarms,” he said.

“I plan to raise this as an issue with our local minister Kathleen Lynch.”

He praised the community spirit in the area which helped save the lives of Noreen and Eileen Naughton on Saturday.

“We are a tight-knit community with great community spirit where people look out for one another, and without it, these two great ladies could have died,” he said.

Angela Marshall, the neighbour who calls to the sisters regularly and who raised the alarm on Saturday, played down her heroic role in the rescue, and said she is delighted to call to the Nortons regularly.

“It’s great to be able to do it. I don’t mind doing it at all,” she said.

“They are two of the nicest ladies you would ever, ever meet.

“I would encourage people to always check on your elderly neighbours, because you just don’t know, do you?

“If I was an hour late on Saturday, they were dead. And if didn’t go at all, they’d be gone. It’s just so important to call, because you just don’t know.”