Double life-saving hero among 47 water rescuers

A father of five from Co Cork who has saved two people from drowning in separate incidents over the last decade, will be among 47 people from across the country who will today be rewarded for the bravery they showed in water rescues.

John McCarthy, from Ballyvourney, Co Cork, was out for an evening walk with his three sons, Luke, Ryan, and Cathal last April when he heard shouting from the nearby Sullane river.

A 60-year-old woman had been trying to remove her dog from the river and had fallen into a deep pool and couldn’t stay upright as she kept slipping on stones lining the riverbed.