Rescuers celebrated at water safety awards for saving 11 lives

RESCUERS in nine dramatic, near-death, water accidents were honoured at an awards ceremony in Dublin yesterday.

Eleven lives were saved by the quick thinking and brave actions of 13 men and one woman who put their own lives at risk to rescue those in difficulty in water incidents all across the country.

Service awards were also presented to 77 Irish Water Safety volunteers, in recognition of the their total 1,510 years of personal service around the country in teaching swimming, rescue and water survival skills.