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TWO ENNIS GARDAÍ have been hailed as heroes after helping a nine-day old baby who wasn’t breathing after being rushed to Ennis Garda Station.
The incident occurred on the evening of 4 April at 5.50pm, reports Elaine Tubridy of the Clare Echo. The newborn’s parents were walking their pram in the Abbey Street area when they noticed their baby wasn’t breathing and ‘its face had turned blue’. They ran to the nearby garda station for assistance.
Garda Patrick McCormack, who has less than four months’ service, was the garda on duty at the public office when the parents came in with their nine-day old child.
He was the first responder and was shortly after joined by Garda Ken Butler, who is attached to the Divisional Roads Policing unit and is a trained paramedic. The two gardaí called for an ambulance and performed first aid on the child.
The newborn’s parents have told The Clare Echo that the quick-responding Garda Butler “might have saved our baby’s life”.
The child was transferred to the local hospital by ambulance and is understood to be doing well now having been released from hospital after being kept in overnight.
Clare Chief Superintendent John Kerin told The Clare Echo:
“I am very proud of the professional and brave response of both gardai, particularly Garda McCormack who has less than four months’ service. It was a daunting challenge but his reaction was immediate and his response was first class, as was that of Garda Butler. It copper-fastens the necessity for all front line responders to be trained in First Aid . The response of Gardai reflects well on their training.”
Local councillor Anne Norton, who was in the station on other business when the incident occurred, praised the gardai at a council policing committee meeting this afternoon.
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Good man.
Wow, fair play to him. Just shows the importance of being able to perform CPR on young and old. It should be taught at school level & in work places. Great outcome for the family who must have got an awful fright.
@Olivia: I always thought local health centres should offer first aid training to new mums.
@FrustratedASDMum: yes definitely and dads. And I’m literally sitting here with a two week old!
Great to hear great news! And just shows that our gardai on the ground are doing a great job with no resources and no backing from higher up the ladder.
@George McCarthy:
No resources and no backing? FFS, where did he get his training? He was in a Garda station, on duty and available, is that not significant resource?
@Nick Allen: numbers are way down. Ask the people of cellbridge. Ask the people of rural Ireland. Gardai have out dated equipment. In my eyes this means a lack of backing.
@Nick Allen: maybe if he had a patrol car and extra colleagues they could have gone to the sick child, instead of the child being brought to the station.
@Nick Allen: There’s no guarantee that the he got his first responder training in Templemore, the vast majority of gardaí only got basic first aid training down the college & have had no refresher training since. And very, very few gardaí have had training up to paramedic level, so I’d be surprised if the roads policing garda wasn’t one of the many members who have paid for their own medical training.
@BigSFLou..ny:
The parents were close to the station at the time, also if they called emergency service it would have been for an ambulance and as the child was not breathing at the time the likelihood is that he may not have made it. On top of that if the parents wanted to call the police or ambulance the they could have done so as the resources are in place for this 24*7. Maybe try thinking before hiring the submit button
@Joe Bloggs:
All conjecture but he facts are that two Gardai were available to save the baby’s life and you muppets are trying to argue that there are, and I quote ‘No Resources’
@Nick Allen: Garda management has not organised first aid training for the vast majority of gardaí since they walked out of the gates of Templemore; that is a fact. If you think that this is indicative of a properly-resourced police force then you’re the muppet.
Frightening situation to be in for all involved, fair play to those gardai, a life saved.
Brilliant news!! Makes my day
Well done young man, it’s something to be proud of. Gives a nice two fingers to the moaners on here who constantly and unfairly slag off the Gardai. Most of us realise that the vast majority of Gardai do a good job.
What a wonderful outcome to a dreadful situation. Those two guards should feel very proud of themselves. It’s true that it should be taught in all schools.
Best police service in the world
Super well done young man
I am a first aider, but to do CPR on a baby is very daunting and huge undertaking to have a baby life in your hands. Hats off to Gardai. True life hero’s.
Well done indeed to the young Garda.
He & his colleague should be very proud of themselves.
He must feel so good saving that baby’s life.
Well done lad.
Good man Patrick.
Wow . Fair play to that garda
Excellent. Well done
Well done Garda McCormack, the nation tips it’s hat to you.
Can anyone answer why a baby would randomly start suffocating? Because that’s probably the scariest thing I’ve ever heard.
Great man. Pro-abortion and anti-life extremists must be tearing their hair from their heads hearing those news.
@Greg Gumble: I’m voting for Repeal and I am very pleased that the Garda was able to save a born baby, a neonate. It was not a foetus.
@Greg Gumble: What on earth are you on about!? Do you realise how ridiculous that sounds?!
@Greg Gumble: absolute prize gobsh*te, you are.
Well done! Maith thú – agus go n-eirí an t-úain beag bocht
(apologies to anyone who can actually speak Irish)
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