Hero Garda saves drowning man’s life by pulling him from Liffey and performing CPR

“Three hard pumps and the foam and water started coming out of his mouth and his eyes shot open. I just thought ‘thank God’”

A hero Garda has been lauded for jumping into the river Liffey in Dublin and saving the life of a man who was unresponsive in the water. After pulling the drowning man out of the river plucky Sarah Lynam performed Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) on the man who was rushed to hospital, where he recovered later.

“On Friday afternoon Garda Sarah Lynam and Garda Anna Duhova were on beat patrol on O’Connell street in Dublin city when they were alerted to a report of a man having entered the water,” explains a Garda spokesperson.

The two Guards arrived at Bachelor’s Walk where the man was seen near the boardwalk.

“”Due to fears for the man’s safety, Garda Sarah Lynam immediately entered the River Liffey and swam to the assistance of the man,” adds the Garda spokesperson.

“The man, who was in his 50s was unresponsive at the time.”

They add: “A rope was thrown towards Garda Lynam and with the assistance of her colleague, Garda Duhova and two members of the public, the man was removed from the water.”

The man was then given assistance when he was pulled in.

“”Straight away CPR was administered by Garda Lynam, before the man was taken by ambulance to the Mater Misericordiae Hospital.”

Garda Lynam was overjoyed her efforts were successful.

“Once he was out they turned him over and I pulled myself up,” she recalls. “But I could see his chest wasn’t going up and down, I knew he wasn’t breathing.

“I had to do CPR – three hard pumps and the foam and water started coming out of his mouth and his eyes shot open. I just thought ‘thank God’.”

The two Gardai and the two bystanders have been praised by members of the public.

“Well done for saving him, what a brave thing to do,” remarked one.

Another said: “Well done members of the Gardai and public. Very brave.”

One woman remarked: “They have a hard job to do, well done to them.”

Garda Lynam was called “an amazing lady” by another woman while someone else called her a “hero”

Another person wrote: “Well done both Gardai. The bravery shown by Gardai on a daily basis sometimes goes unnoticed. But to their family and friends they are everyday heroes.”

And one more stressed: “Amazing job, well done Garda Lynam and Duhova. To risk your life like that to save another deserves the highest recognition and I hope you get it.”