HEROES HONOURED BY COUNCIL
PARAMEDIC PAYS TRIBUTE TO MEN WHO SAVED HIM FROM DROWNING IN FEALE AS A CHILD
TWO Listowel men were honoured at Kerry County Council’s annual Community Awards night for the young life they saved on the River Feale back in 1972.
But their quick and decisive action on the day ultimately meant they would go on to help save countless more lives.
For John Kelliher, who they rescued from the Feale, grew up to become a paramedic and fire fighter - a choice of career he thanked his rescuers Vincent O’Connor and Martin Guerin for at Friday’s ceremony.
Vincent and Martin were two of a number of community heroes from the Listowel municipal district honoured at the ceremony - in what was their second brush with fame over an incident that occurred back in 1972. They were nominated for the award by Listowel Cathaoirleach Jimmy Moloney, receiving it much to John Kelliher’s delight.
John’s hazy memory of the whole thing is eerie: “I remember going under the water but I resurfaced again but for some reason I could not call out for help. I just remember everything was so quiet. The next thing I remembered was waking up in hospital.”
John B Keane reported on the story for the Limerick Leader at the time under the heading ‘ Teenage boys rush in where grown men fear to tread’, and there is no beating his telling of it. “On Sunday last a group of boys were bathing in the Corporal’s [a pool on the Feale near the Kerry plant] when an older boy noticed that a younger boy was missing.
The missing boy was John Kelliher... After a search, his body was seen at the bottom of the pool by 14-year old Vincent O’Connor of O’Connell’s Avenue,” John B wrote, continuing: “Quickly Vincent managed to drag him ashore with the help of other boys, but little John Kelliher was unconscious and seemingly dead. He was blue all over and not breathing. “However, a 13-year old boy, by the name of Martin Guerin of Convent Street, decided to try the kiss of life, which he had seen expertly performed on television. Meanwhile, Doctor Johnny Walsh, who was swimming further up at the opposite side, was being summoned. He swam across at once. When he arrived he found that John Kelliher was breathing, thanks to the kiss-of-life treatment by Martin Guerin.”
Meanwhile, a group of men who had seen the disaster unfold were upbraided by Dr Walsh for not rushing in, and leaving it to Vincent and Martin. Tragically, one of the youngsters who first noticed John was missing that day – John Walsh of O’Connell’s Avenue – would himself drown at that exact same spot just one year later. He was remembered with deep affection by John and Vincent on Friday. Martin Guerin was unable to make the event due to commitments in Dublin.