Hero boys save girl from drowning

Three 14-year-old boys have been hailed as heroes after they went to the rescue of a teenage girl who was lying face down in the sea at Balbriggan Harbour.

“If it wasn’t for their quick thinking and actions it could have been a very different story,” said a spokesperson for Skerries Coast Guard, which responded to the incident with the Irish Coast Guard helicopter and Dublin Fire Brigade.

Shelomith Freeman, 13, remains in intensive care in Temple Street Children’s Hospital.

Her mum Jennifer gave heartfelt thanks to the boys. “If it was not for them she could have died. They have saved her life. I thank them and God bless them, I hope they have a wonderful and great future.”

Jennifer said Shelomith took in a lot of water and her lungs seized.

Jennifer has been told there is a 50% chance her daughter will be left with permanent damage.

One of the three who went to her rescue was David Grant. Along with Alex May and Ben Graham, he had spent last Wednesday evening “lying in the sun and jumping off the pier in Balbriggan”.

“We saw a group of girls shouting up to us that their friend was drowning. I just jumped in and went over to her. She was unconscious and lying down in the water. I grabbed her and began to bring her over to the steps,” David explained.

Alex jumped in after him and the pair swam 20m to the pier wall. A fisherman provided a harness to help lift her on to the pier and Ben did compressions to get any water out of her.