Partying Dublin firemen save Mayo man's life

PARTYING firemen have saved a life by swapping their hoses for a defibrillator in Westport.

The ten strong off-duty crew, who are attached to North Strand Station, Dublin, were enjoying the start of their Christmas party in the Castlecourt Hotel last weekend when a man at the bar collapsed beside them.

Shelving their drinks, the 'B Watch' team swung into first aid mode.

The stricken patient, who had been out with his family celebrating his son's graduation as a nurse, was linked to a defibrillator and given CPR  by the fire crew before being rushed by emergency ambulance to Mayo University Hospital, Castlebar.

One of the fire officers at the scene, Deirdre Ní Thaillíur later posted on Facebook: 'What a start to the B watch No. 4 Christmas party ? The lads arrive to Westport, first drink at the bar and someone keels over beside them, cardiac arrest. Quick CPR, early defibrillation and pulse returned. Handed over to National Ambulance Service, en route to hospital in Castlebar. Here’s hoping he makes a full recovery. Lucky we didn’t go to Carrick (Carrick on Shannon)  this year.'

One of the firemen involved, District Officer Peter Keating, had just retired two days previously.

After the emergency, the Castlecourt's Deirdre Shevlin commented: 'The firemen were just magnificent in the way they responded and expertly took over'.