Ireland

Gardaí praised for ‘heroic’ actions to save woman from river in Co Kildare

Gardaí Colman Curran and Brendan Murphy reacted quickly to report of woman entering water in Athy

Garda Colman Curran and Garda Brendan Murphy were involved in the rescue in Kildare. Photograph: An Garda Síochána
Sarah Slater
Mon Aug 05 2024 - 17:36

Two gardaí have been praised for their actions after saving a woman who got into difficulty in the river Barrow in Co Kildare.

At lunchtime on Saturday, gardaí received a call from a member of the public alerting them that they had seen a woman enter the river in Athy.

Gardaí Colman Curran and Brendan Murphy were on duty and made it to the scene within minutes and could see the woman was in serious difficulty in the water. She was being quickly carried downstream by the strong current.

According to Garda headquarters in the Phoenix Park, both gardaí “worked together to get the woman safely from the water” and to a Garda car for medical assistance.

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Garda Murphy went to retrieve a lifebuoy on the river bank to assist Garda Curran, who was “holding on tightly to the woman, treading the water [so he] could get them both to safety”.

Additional Garda assistance and colleagues from the National Ambulance Service quickly arrived and the woman was brought to hospital for treatment. She is expected to make a full recovery.

“As gardaí we are trained to keep people safe but we’re still all human and sometimes when we’re faced with a challenging situation like this one, they won’t always have this positive of an outcome,” the statement continued.

“We’re immensely proud of Garda Colman Curran and Garda Brendan Murphy for their swift, brave and considered actions”.

Carlow Fianna Fáil TD Jennifer Murnane O’Connor praised the two gardaí for their “heroic efforts and quick thinking” for saving the woman’s life.