A garda has been hailed a hero after she saved a man from drowning in Kilkenny on Saturday night.
Local garda Andy Neill said his three colleagues acted swiftly to save the man who was submerged in the River Nore.
He said: “He was going under the water - a man in his early 20s.
“The three Gardaí immediately got involved. [They were] two female Gardaí and one male.
“A female Garda entered the water and succeeded in bringing the man to the surface, where her two colleagues immediately assisted in bringing the man safely in.”
The gardai were on patrol in the city when they spotted the man around 2am.
They were both taken to hospital and treated for mild hyperthermia.
Garda Neill told KCLR 96fm: "They were both brought to St Luke's Hospital and they received treatment.
“The Garda was discharged a short time later and the male is still receiving treatment but is in good condition.
“Again, around that time with pubs and clubs closing it would be a very, very busy time, so we would have a beat presence in the town centre. So maybe it was just opportune."
A garda spokeswoman said: “ Gardaí were on routine beat patrol on Johns Quay, Kilkenny in the early hours of Sunday morning when they witnessed a man entering the water.
“Gardaí immediately entered the water to assist this man (early 20s) and with the aid of a lifebuoy and a Garda member entering the water, the man was pulled from the water and removed to St. Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny.
“The Garda member has since been released and the injured man remains in hospital.”
