A young man who saved an infant strapped into a buggy from drowning and a girl who provided life saving CPR to her horse riding instructor at the side of a busy road have been honoured at the Garda National Youth Awards.
Tributes were also paid to young people battling serious health challenges and groups and individuals actively working to make the communities in which the live safer and more inclusive at the ceremony in Portlaoise on Saturday afternoon.
A total of 24 recipients, aged between 13 and 21, from Garda divisions across the State were recognised at the event which was attended by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.
One of the recipients was Tyrone Donoghue, who spotted a mother in distress and leapt into action while out for a walk in Mullingar, Co Westmeath earlier this year. The pram the woman was pushing her seven-month-old daughter in slipped away from her and rolled into the canal with the infant still strapped in.
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Tyrone ran to the canal bank and, despite being unable to swim, got into the water to help the woman, who was struggling to stop the pram from getting taken down stream. He managed to hold the pram up in the water and keep the girl’s airways clear.
A citation said his “actions may well have saved a life on that fateful day. He is a shining example and role model to his community in Mullingar”.
Another recipient was Freya Maher, who was out riding horses with friends when her instructor was thrown to the ground. Freya noticed the instructor had no pulse and immediately began CPR compressions and called for an ambulance.
Due to the instructor’s bulky jacket and body protector, effectively administering CPR was made even harder for Freya, who was performing the life saving steps while cars passed on the busy road she and her friends had been riding their horses along at the time.
Freya’s “quick thinking undoubtedly saved the life of her instructor [and] in spite of experiencing this traumatic event, Freya returned right back to school without so much of a word about the day’s events”, the citation said.
In 2022, Eimear O’Loughlin was on duty working as a lifeguard at Ballyalla Lake near Ennis, Co Clare when a swimmer went missing in the water. She entered the lake in search of the person and located and brought them back to shore.
“It was clear that the person was unresponsive and their life was in danger, so Eimear began administering CPR and continued until gardaí and the Coastguard arrived,” the citation notes. “Emergency services arrived and took over but sadly, despite all efforts, this person was pronounced deceased at the scene.
“This must have been a traumatic and frightening experience for Eimear, yet she returned to work and finished out her shift – a testament to her commitment to keep swimmers safe.”
In April, Cormac Petrie happened to spot a young woman floating in the water while on a visit to Athlone. Drawing on his training as a member of Roscommon Civil Defence, he pulled the woman out and began to resuscitate her.
The citation noted that he “also provided reassurance to the young woman’s parents who had by now got to the river side, while he stabilised the woman until emergency services arrived”.
“The woman was taken to hospital, and released a number of days later. She made a full recovery,” it added.
Another award winner was Michael Dennedy, who had just started his summer break last year when he lost his leg as a result of an incident involving a tractor.
He “bravely powered through and insisted on returning to school for the first day of the new school year”, the citation said, and he “has remained exceptionally positive throughout his ordeal.
“He has never let his injury prevent him from achieving anything he sets his sights on.”
The citation concluded by saying all of those in his hometown of Kinnitty, Co Offaly, and beyond, “have been touched and motivated by his resilience”.
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