An ambulance driver has told of his ordeal after he was attacked by two men who stabbed him and left a six-inch knife embedded in his stomach as he was preparing to take a seriously ill patient to hospital.
Emergency medical technician Pat McCarthy (28) yesterday told how he had gone to get some extra sheets for a badly haemorrhaging patient at Youghal Community Hospital and was moving his car when he was attacked by two men at about 11.50pm on Wednesday night.
"I had gone to get some extra sheets from the garage [ at the ambulance base] and my car was in there, so I decided to move it," said Mr McCarthy at Cork University Hospital. "I had just parked it when these two fellows jumped me from behind and got my keys and got into the car.
"They managed to start the car but I was hanging on to the seatbelt. They reversed the car and it went over my two legs. Luckily, the car was on the grass at this stage and there was dew on the grass, so the ground was a bit soft and my legs weren't badly hurt.
"The car stalled and I managed to get the keys out of the car and one fellow tackled me, but then the second fellow attacked me. It was only after they left when I went up to my colleague that I realised I had been stabbed," Mr McCarthy said.
"I was very lucky because it was a six-inch knife and it could have easily killed me."
He alerted his colleague in the ambulance just 20 yards away and she raised the alarm with other colleagues in the hospital.
Mr McCarthy, who is from Youghal, was treated at the scene by Dr Hugh Doran from Carrigtwohill before before being taken to Cork University Hospital where he underwent surgery early yesterday morning.
Gardaí were last night preparing to speak to Mr McCarthy in the hope that he might be able to give them a detailed description of his two attackers, one of whom was described as wearing a grey Adidas hoody top.
Gardaí were called to the scene of the attack soon after it happened and they preserved the scene for technical examination yesterday. They hope a forensic examination of the knife removed from Mr McCarthy may help in their search for his attackers.
Supt Liam Hayes of Midleton Garda appealed to anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in the vicinity of Youghal Community Hospital late on Wednesday night to contact Youghal Garda station on 024-92200.
The attack was strongly condemned by the Health Service Executive South and chief ambulance officer Peter Curley, who said it was "a vicious and unprovoked attack" on a member of its service.
"This unfortunate incident occurred when the EMT came upon two individuals interfering with his car as he arrived back at the ambulance base.
"Crew safety is very much to the forefront of our agenda and we strongly condemn this sort of unprovoked attack on a uniformed member of the ambulance personnel."