A TEACHER has been praised for rescuing an elderly man from the sea after he hit his head in a fall.
Aisling O’Connell had just finished her 2.5k sea swim near Dereenatra Pier, between Schull and Ballydehob, on Wednesday July 1st when she saw a man get into difficulty as he walked down the steps at the pier, holding on to a rusty handrail.
‘I saw him grab the handrail. It didn’t break off but it was buckling,’ said Aisling (32).
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‘He just fell and hit his head on one of the steps. It was low tide. He didn’t lose consciousness but blacked out a bit.’
Aisling, a qualified lifeguard and keen rugby player originally from Lisheen and now living in Schull, administered first aid to cuts the man in his 80s received to the side of his head.
Aisling, a former pupil of Skibbereen’s Gaelscoil Dr Uí Shúilleabháin where she now teaches, said: ‘It was scary and he was a bit shook but we phoned his family and they came soon after.’
Cork County Council replaced the rusty railings earlier this week.
Aisling noted: ‘This isn’t really about me but about the state of the railings. I know lots of people who have been giving out about them. Nothing ever gets fixed this quick.’
She pointed out that regular users of the sauna at the pier had also mentioned near-accidents due to the deteriorated state of the old railings and worn-out surface of the pier steps.
Aisling’s bravery and quick response was witnessed by others who were nearby at the time.
Cliodhna McCarthy (73), from Dublin, said things could have been a lot worse for the man, if Aisling hadn’t been in the right place at the right time.
‘The railing was in a bad state… I think it went completely from under the man’s hand. The girl who had been swimming got there a lot quicker than we did. She pulled him out of the water and onto the steps. We were absolutely flapping but she was very calm and didn’t hesitate.’
Eye witness Leah Murphy added: ‘Crumbling steps, broken handrails and surfaces covered in moss and algae make it so difficult for all, especially the older community to access safe swimming spaces. Swimming is a huge part of life for many in West Cork as well as those who use it for fishing and other water activities.’
Bantry Cllr George Gill (FF) said: ‘Great credit is due to Aisling O’Connell for her bravery and fast thinking as she certainly saved a life last Wednesday.’
Cllr Gill called for a safety audit at all of West Cork’s piers and slipways to identify any issues with safety railings, especially during the busy summer months. He raised the issue at the recent annual general meeting of West Cork Municipal District.
‘Locals may be aware of issues with railings, but tourists may not be familiar and that is when a tragedy will happen,’ added Cllr Gill.
‘Where possible all railings should be made safe as soon as possible but where work can’t be carried out in the short term, I believe safety signage should be put in place to warn people.’
Cork County Council was contacted for comment.
