Two Gardaí have been praised as “heroes” after they quickly jumped into action providing emergency care to a seriously injured child on a roadside after his parent's car experienced a flat tyre en route to the hospital.
On Friday, May 26 Garda Roisín O’Donnell and Garda Rose McGlynn were out on patrol along the M1 at Charleville, Louth when they were waved down by a panicked couple standing by their parked vehicle on the hard shoulder.
Their 19-year-old son, Tabish had sustained an injury to his arm while at home and his parents were driving him to hospital when they got a flat tyre.
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According to a post on An Garda Síochána’s Facebook page: “Both Gardaí quickly realised that Tabish’s injury was extremely serious. His bone was protruding and he was experiencing significant blood loss.”
However, the quick-thinking duo wasted no time and took Tabish’s mother’s jacket and his dad’s trouser belt and together they made a tourniquet to stem the bleeding.
With Tabish’s condition quickly deteriorating and an ambulance still some distance away, Garda McGlynn carefully moved him to the Garda vehicle to urgently get him to the hospital, while Garda O’Donnell performed traffic management duties on the road.
The post continued: “Garda McGlynn drove towards Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda with activated lights and sirens but despite Garda O’Donnell’s best efforts to keep him alert, Tabish was falling in and out of consciousness. His arm was now turning pale.
“He required emergency care and so the Gardaí got in touch with the hospital’s ED to give them advance warning of his condition and he was immediately seen by medics on arrival.
“His medical team have noted that had Garda O’Donnell and Garda McGlynn not administered life-saving treatment and applied a tourniquet when they had, Tabish would not have survived.
“Having undergone complex surgery in Connolly Hospital, Dublin on his arm the following day, Tabish’s life is no longer in danger and we are so grateful to learn that he is now in recovery.”
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