Rescue heroes: You have to make a split-second decision

Twenty-six rescuers and the 36 lives saved by their bravery were celebrated yesterday at the Irish Water Safety Awards, amid growing concern about the number of drownings by suicide.

Those receiving Seiko Just in Time Awards at Dublin Castle included, for the first time, posthumous winners with stories of heroism across the country, from Donegal to West Cork, and Galway to Dublin.

IWS chairwoman Breda Collins also referred to the victims who were not saved — 128 people drowned in Ireland last year, while 40 children have died in the past decade. She also revealed that of all the deaths by drowning in the decade up to the end of last year, 35% had been accidental while 46% were by suicide.