Garda probationer rescues vulnerable missing person from bog 

The incident in An Garda Síochána's Southern Region is detailed in Commissioner Drew Harris's latest monthly report.

A probationer garda taking part in a major search operation waded across marshland and saved the life of a missing vulnerable person by digging them out of a bog.

The incident, which happened in the south of the country, is detailed in the latest monthly report of Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.

In a second incident, gardaí managed to track down a person and bring them to hospital after Pieta House rang 999 saying the individual had threatened to take their own life.

Multi-agency rescue mission 

In the first case, on October 29, gardaí in the Southern Region responded to reports that a high-risk person was missing from their home.

Gardaí immediately began extensive coordinated searches, in co-operation with the Civil Defence Unit, the Coast Guard, and local volunteers.

Members of the Garda Missing Persons Unit subsequently joined the search. Drones with heat sensors were also utilised in an attempt to locate the missing person.

“Shortly after, the person was located in an area of marsh, trapped from the waist down in boggy ground,” the report said.

As the area was of difficult terrain that vehicles could not access, a probationer garda, assisted by the Coast Guard, made their way across the land and dug the person out of the bog to safety. 

Paramedics attended the scene and transported the person to the local hospital for further treatment.

In the second incident, on October 26, gardaí in the North Western Region responded to calls from Pieta House about a person threatening to take their own life.

The report said an immediate investigation commenced with initial searches of the area proving negative. 

It said contact was made with Garda Command and Control, which deals with 999 calls. They were being relayed information from the person’s mother and the services of the Coast Guard were requested.

"As a result of the joint efforts, the person was located a short time later in their vehicle in a distressed state," the report said. 

The person was subsequently conveyed to the local garda station where they were medically assessed and later admitted to hospital for the appropriate treatment.

• If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please click here for a list of support services, or contact Samaritans on 116 123; Pieta House 1800 247247, or text HELP to 51444.