Paramedics had to carry seriously ill man 300 metres to ambulance

EMERGENCY medical teams were forced to carry a seriously ill man over snow to an ambulance.

The incident happened at the park in Killinarden, Tallaght, yesterday where the man reportedly collapsed.

Response teams found the way to the scene had been impeded by heavy snow.

They had to walk 300 metres across the snow to reach him.

A spokesperson for the HSE National Ambulance Service said it received a call at 1.16pm from Dublin Fire Brigade to say a man was in trouble and required assistance.

The ambulance and an emergency response vehicle arrived on-scene in Tallaght at 1.30pm and an advanced paramedic carried out life-support treatment.

He arrived at Tallaght Hospital at 2.02pm, where his condition last night could not be confirmed.

There had been reports earlier in the day that teams brought in to clear the snow in the Killinarden area had to be withdrawn, due to anti-social behaviour.

However, there was no evidence to suggest this affected the efforts of emergency medical personnel to reach the ill man.

A spokesman for Dublin Fire Brigade said it had vehicles which got into difficulty in a number of locations around west Dublin as a result of the snow. However, a Garda spokesman said it had no information regarding anti-social behaviour in the area at the time.

Separately, pictures were circulated on social media of windows smashed in the local Killinarden House pub.

The damage was attributed to anti-social behaviour.

Locals also posted pictures of the community coming together to clear the roads.

South Dublin County Council also said its teams were out all day working to clear roads and footpaths.