Bravery Awards for local heroes

Tragedy at Belderrig recalled as bravery awards bestowed on local heroes


Neill O’Neill

A SAD chapter in north Mayo community life was recalled last week, when four local men were presented with national bravery awards at a ceremony in Farmleigh House in Dublin, some 16 years after their heroism saved three members of one family, in an incident where two lives were tragically lost.
SeΡn McHale and Martin Kavanagh from Killala, along with Martin O’Donnell and Patrick O’Donnell from Porturlin, all played a part in one of the most heroic and complex rescues ever seen in the county, during a two-day incident in 1997.
“Were it not for the seamanship, skill, ingenuity and bravery of these four people more lives would have indeed been lost,” the special awards ceremony heard last week, and for their efforts, SeΡn McHale, Martin Kavanagh, Martin O’Donnell and Patrick O’Donnell were each awarded a Certificate of Bravery.
At the same ceremony, Aideen Ryan, also from Killala, was similarly awarded a Certificate of Bravery, for her role in a separate water rescue that took place in 2002.

1997 tragedy and rescue
On October 25, 1997, a major rescue was launched in an area known as Lady’s Bay near Belderrig. A currach with a family of three and another person on board was in difficulty after hitting rocks. The group had been exploring the coastline and some sea caves at Horse Island.
The tragedy began to unfold at 11am that morning, when 53-year-old German national Ernest von Below, a retired banker who had lived in the Belderrig area for several years, along with Tony and Carmel Murphy and their daughter Eimear, put to sea in the 16-foot currach that Mr Von Below had recently purchased.
While exploring near a cave, their currach was smashed against rocks and the strong tide swept the group of four into the long dark cave. Mr Below was lost in the rising tide but the Murphy family managed to get themselves into a crevice just above the water.
They remained there for 17 hours as a frantic rescue operation – involving the Ballina-based GrΡinne Uaile Diving Team, Ballyglass Lifeboat, Killala Coast and Cliff Rescue Unit, Ballina Fire Brigade, Gardaí and locals – got under way.
However, tragedy was to strike again when 38-year-old Michael Heffernan, a founding member of the GrΡinne Uaile Diving Club, died after waves smashed him against rocks at the entrance to the pitch-dark cave, having become separated from a colleague after they had entered the water to help. The tragedy was compounded by the fact that Michael had turned down the chance to travel to Malta on a diving trip with his club mates in order to be at home with his wife, Ann Marie, who was expecting the couple’s second child.
The Murphy family were rescued just before dawn the next day when a five-man team from the Garda Sub Aqua Unit, who were flown into Belderrig by the Shannon Marine Rescue Service, brought them to safety during a dangerous and heroically executed rescue operation, carried out in tandem with other emergency service personnel and local people.
SeΡn McHale and Martin Kavanagh were members of Killala Coast and Cliff Rescue Services who entered the cave with the Garda divers in an inflatable dinghy. Pat and Martin O’Donnell, aboard their respective trawlers ‘Blath BΡn’ and ‘SineΡd’, performed the complex towing operation.
Despite the dinghy also getting into trouble, and there being eight people essentially trapped in the cave at one point, one of the Garda divers swam out several hundred yards to the Blath BΡn with a rope, and, eventually, everybody was taken to safety from the cave.

2002 rescue
On May 8, 2002, after returning from a boat trip to Inishbiggle, Aideen Doran and several work colleagues noticed that the boatman had gotten into difficulty while trying to get the vessel ashore. On realising the seriousness of the situation Aideen entered the water, swam out to the boatman, and, with the assistance of another woman, Sarah Togher, succeeded in bringing both the man and his boat safely back to shore.

Outstanding
Last week’s awards, presented to SeΡn McHale, Martin Kavanagh, Martin O’Donnell, Patrick O’Donnell and Aideen Ryan, were among 21 presented by Ceann Comhairle SeΡn Barrett at the national ceremony in recognition of outstanding acts of bravery.
The honours were awarded by Comhairle na Míre Gaile – the Deeds of Bravery Council – which was established in 1947 to provide for suitable recognition by the State of deeds of bravery.