“We are extremely proud of him”
An Enfield GAA club has praised a club member for his bravery in saving the life of a young boy who was overcome by strong currents while swimming on a beach in Kerry.
22-year-old Mícheál Keogh came to the rescue of a ten-year-old boy along with three other relatives who got into difficulty at Com Dhíneol (Coumeenole) beach near Ceann Sléibhe (Slea Head) yesterday afternoon.
The boy's father and two other male relatives had initially attempted to come to his assistance, but they in turn were also overcome by difficult conditions.
Luckily Mícheál who was swimming nearby and spotted the boy in distress thought nothing of risking his own life to save the child in the dramatic rescue.
His efforts were “a spectacular act of bravery” that’s according to Eilish Devine Chairperson of Na Fianna CLG who commented:
“it is an incredible feat all together but it is nothing short of what you would expect from him because he is an exceptional young man from an exceptional family who are so ingrained in the community here.
“You have to have a social conscience that is beyond belief to put yourself in such danger for four strangers.
“We are extremely proud of him.”
The heroic Enfield man who is on holiday with his parents Mícheál and Jacinta in Kerry described what happened. He said:
“I went out for a swim and could feel that there was a strong tide underneath then I spotted this man sprinting in after his son and they were really close to the cliff.
“They kept getting pushed up against cliffs and then the current kept bringing them back out so I just swam over as quickly as I could to try and help the boy.
“His other two uncles came in as well but none of them could swim.
“This other guy Dan Sullivan got to the boy first but he couldn’t swim in the current so when I got there I was able to hold the boy above my head while the waves were coming over us, it was tough, I have to say.”
After rescuing the youngster, Mícheál came to the assistance of his two uncles who were also in difficulty. He said:
“One of the uncles got to a rock that was a bit away from the cliff and the uncle managed to cling on to that so I tried to make it there as well and managed to push the boy across the water to his father who grabbed him by the leg and pulled him into that rock.
“I then managed to get myself up off the rock and pulled the father up with me.
“There were a good few waves coming over my head trying to hold up the boy Jacob is his name and I was trying to hold him up as long as I could, it was very scary.
“Dan who got back into shore and another guy made a human chain from the cliff so I swam with the father and son over to Dan and he pulled them out.”
Mícheál had to spring into action again when the boy’s uncles who were in shock could not let go of the rock.
“I was shouting at him that he had to let go but he just couldn’t so I had to get behind him and pull his arms away from it and then I swam with him with one arm around his waist and got him back to Dan who still had the chain and he pulled him in.
“I asked the second uncle to climb around the rock but he started climbing up above it so he was at a height and suddenly I remember a massive wave came in and knocked him off the top of it and he landed down on top of me and the two of us went with the wave into the cliff.
“I managed to get a hold of him and myself and Dan were able to pull him in then.”
Despite the brave act the Enfield man says is reluctant to be dubbed a hero!
“I just remember the boy who was conscious at this stage with an off duty lifeguard who turned him on his side and he was breathing and everyone was just in shock.
“It didn’t hit me until after is happened I don’t think it has even hit me yet to be honest, I was very shook afterwards.
“When I was saw he was ok, I was delighted and I was very thankful that they were all safe and sound.
“I was glad I was there when I was and that I could help, a hero is a bit much though.”