Galway Gardaí honoured for bravery after river rescue

A HIGH-RISK rescue of a drowning man in Galway city last St. Patrick’s Day has led to bravery awards for two local members of the Garda force.

Garda Maria Freeley, who is based in Mill Street Garda Station, and Reserve Garda, Alan Burke – also based in the city – were ‘on the beat’ in the Spanish Arch area of the city on March 17 last at around 4.30pm when the drama began.

A man who had been standing on the edge of the sea wall leaned backwards and fell into the water – immediately, Garda Freely raised the alarm over the Gardaí’s Tetra radio system.

Reserve Garda Burke – a native of Castlerea, Roscommon – jumped into the water in an effort to keep the man afloat but soon afterwards, he and the man he was trying to rescue, both got into difficulty.

At this point, another Reserve Garda had arrived on the scene and Garda Freely managed to reach down and pull Alan Burke towards the wall at the edge of the sea.

A passer-by who had joined in the rescue attempt then lay down beside the sea edge and managed to grab the man who had originally fallen into the water. At this stage, the main aim of the people on the bank, was to keep both men’s heads over water, and some minutes later they managed to pull them to safety.

Last Friday, at Farmleigh House in the Phoenix Park, both Garda Maria Freeley and Reserve Garda Alan Burke, were among 21 individuals across the country who were recipients of National Bravery Awards.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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