THREE GALWAY Gardaí have been commended for their prompt and selfless actions which saved the life of a young man who fell into the Corrib canal in the city.
At approximately 2:10am on Tuesday, February 11, three Gardaí received a report of a young man who had fallen into the water at O'Brien's Bridge.
The country had just taken a battering from Storm Ciara, and high winds and cold temperatures had been left in its wake, making weather conditions extremely hazardous.
Segeant Gearóid Ó Dúinn, along with gardaí Kevin Molyneaux and Jonathan Durkin, rushed to the scene where they could see a young man struggling in the icy water.
A small crowd had gathered near where the man was struggling to stay adrift, and members of the public had thrown a lifebuoy to him but were unable to retrieve him from the water, according to a Garda Statement.
The three Gardaí went to the brink of the canal where, dangerously close to the edge themselves, they were able to catch hold of the drowning man and pull him to safety.
Emergency services were called and the rescued man was taken to University Hospital Galway, where he received treament for hypothermia and minor injuries sustained in the struggle to stay above water.
Superintendent Marie Skehill of Galway Garda Station said, "The members involved are to be commended for their selfless actions and prompt response which lead to the successful rescue of this young man”.
