Two hero security officers have described the moment they saved a 7-year-old girl's life in a shopping centre in Clondalkin.
Beautiful Carly O'Brien's life was saved by brave Danny O'Leary, 64, and 59-year-old Dan O'Brien at the Mill Shopping Centre in south Dublin last Christmas.
Little Carly was dancing through the shopping centre as Christmas music echoed through the packed centre.
But suddenly, the young girl stopped in her tracks and collapsed to the ground, according to one of the security men O'Leary, a former prison officer.
The Cork man living in Dublin said: "It was Christmas and the Mill centre was very busy. Full of shoppers.
"There was music and the little girl Carly was dancing to the music.
"Suddenly she stopped and fell to the ground.
"We rushed over and myself and my Manguard Plus colleague, Danny O'Brien rushed over to help.
"Danny was brilliant, he just took charge."
Carly had suffered a cardiac arrest and the security men got to work straight away.
O'Leary, who has been working with security company Manguard Plus for the last three years, described how he began mouth compressions while his colleague worked on chest compressions.
"There was huge panic from people around us but we stayed calm and that is the key", he continued.
"We knew what to do to give the little girl a fighting chance.
"Staff from the pharmacy were fantastic, they got a defibrillator.
"Gerry Mulcahy, the Centre Manage was brilliant as was an off duty lifeguard, Conor. Everybody rallied round to help.
We got a sheet to offer the little girl some privacy. In the meantime the Dublin Fire Brigade were on the way and Carly was taken to hospital where she made a full recovery thank God."
The men were trained in CPR through work and the pair cited this training in first aid as a huge factor in being able to save Carly's life.
Tallaght man Dan O'Brien who works alongside O'Leary said the "day was like any other".
He said: "You just never know what's around the corner.
"I was never in that situation before and I hope I never experience it again.
"We were so concerned for little Carly but everybody in the Mill Centre was so good and so helpful.
"My other Manguard Plus colleague Danny O'Leary and I just worked away on her as her heart had stopped but we were determined to keep fighting for her until the Ambulance and Fire services arrived.
"We are delighted she has made such a brilliant recovery and have seen her since. It’s a great news story in the midst of all the bad news we’re all experiencing at the moment.”
The young girl payed her heroes a visit in recent days after celebrating her Holy Communion.
The excited young girl and her mother Linda thanked the quick actions from her security men heroes and the heroes of Dublin Fire Brigade who brought her to hospital.
