A CORONER has commended the brave actions of a garda who grabbed hold of a teenager who was attempting to jump from the roof of a two-storey building.
The 18 year old from Co Wexford was prevented from jumping from a hostel roof in Dublin on June 18th, 2010, by Garda David Dutton.
At Dublin City Coroner’s Court yesterday, Garda Dutton said he found the teenager sitting between the parapet of one roof and the apex of another. He made his way closer and engaged the young man in conversation.
“As I neared him, he made a jump from the edge. I grabbed hold of him as he got his leg over and I pulled him back,” he said.
He held the 18 year old to prevent him from making any further attempts to jump. His grieving mother thanked Garda Dutton, “for risking his life” to save him. Coroner Dr Brian Farrell also commended him for what he had done.
The teenager died of liver failure due to a paracetamol overdose at St Vincent’s hospital on June 20th, 2010. The coroner recorded a verdict of death by suicide and expressed his condolences to the family.