HERO SAVES GIRLS FROM‘QUICKSAND’
TWO GIRLS had a very lucky escape last week when local man Brendan O’Reilly heard them screaming and found them waist-deep and struggling in silt and mud at a wooded area near Soldier’s Road. The heroic Bray man spent an hour rescuing the girls, gathering pieces of wood, using them to stabilise the area.
THE FATHER of a girl rescued from a swamp along with her friend has paid tribute to the man who saved them.
The two girls, aged 12 and 13, got stuck in silt and mud at the area known as ‘ The Germans’ last Tuesday afternoon.
Brendan O’Reilly from Parnell Road was out walking in the woods by the old tower. He heard screams in the distance and ran towards the sound.
He came upon two young girls sinking in the mud. They were both up to their waists and continuing to sink.
He calmed them down, then gathered wood to use to get to them to help them out. It took almost an hour to pull the girls from the muddy material.
A week later, Brendan’s brother Liam posted about the incident on social media, in an effort to warn families about the danger.
One of the girl’s fathers saw the post, and realised that it involved his child. They hadn’t known a thing about what had happened.
‘About a week beforehand she came home muddied and wet and just said they were down the beach messing and fell in puddles,’ he said. ‘I had warned her not to go into that area.’
The man said that he got in touch with Brendan as soon as he could to thank him from the bottom of his heart.
‘I owe him a keg of Guinness!’ he said. He and his wife are so grateful and relieved that their daughter and her friend are okay after their ordeal.
‘He didn’t just save her, he saved me, because the thought of not having here is unthinkable,’ said the dad, who has spoken to the other family.
‘I’m just glad I was there to help,’ said Brendan. He said he knew the area very well, having frequented it regularly since his childhood, and knew the risk of the swamped area. ‘I would even warn people if I saw them out walking,’ he said. ‘I heard the screaming and I thought at first it was people messing but then I realised it was serious and I just ran through the woods,’ heh said.
A modest hero, Brendan hadn’t really wanted his name mentioned in connection with the incident, but he is gglad that the parents uultimately found out wwhat happened.
‘ The girls were vvery brave and calm when I was getting them out of there,’ heh said.
A spokesman for Bray Municipal District said that while they are currently trying to pinpoint the location, they do believe it is on private property.
“He didn’t just save her, he saved me, because the thought of not having her here is unthinkable”