Mum forced to boil snow for baby’s bottle after family cut off by 8ft-high drifts
A DESPERATE mum who said she had been forced to boil snow to make up bottles for her baby son after her water was cut off during Storm Emma has been reached by council staff.
Rachael Collins (21) had been snowed in at her home in Bohernabreena, Co Dublin, alongside her parents, two brothers, boyfriend and seven-month-old son since Wednesday as up to 8ft of snow accumulated in their driveway.
She told the Irish Independent they are farmers and after their tractor broke down they had not been able to get to some of their cattle to feed them since Thursday.
However, yesterday afternoon council staff, assisted by members of Ms Collins’s family, managed to reach her so she was able to get to the shops to get nappies and baby food for her son.
“Once he is looked after I am happy,” she said.
However, the family’s water remains cut off.
“On Wednesday evening our water got cut off, we weren’t notified but we had one pot filled just in case,” said Ms Collins.
“I’ve had to bring the snow in for water, thank God we still have electricity to boil it.
“My son is only sevenmonths-old and we need
water because he’s still very reliant on bottles every four hours.”
Meanwhile, a Co Wicklow mother has told how she is burning clothes and shoes to keep her children warm after they were snowed in at their home with no heating oil.
Lisa Bee, from Brittas, said the snow is as high as the roof of the cottage in some parts and she fears she might lose power to the house.
Posting on social media, she said she and her children, the youngest of whom is six months old and the eldest is eight, are burning anything they can to stay warm.
“I am making contact just in case our ESB goes out and we can’t make contact with anyone to let them know we are OK.
“We have supplies for another two days or so, but we have no heating. We couldn’t get an oil company up before the storm hit.
“I have two plug-in heaters and a fire going. I am burning clothes and shoes and anything really to keep warm.
“The snow is up as high as our roof in some places and we can’t see out our back windows.
“I am just making contact in case this gets worse so that someone knows we are here,” she added.
Attempts to contact her were unsuccessful yesterday.