Men commended for efforts to save pensioner

Anton McNulty

TWO men who entered a burning building on three occasions to try to save an elderly man were commended for their bravery and courage.
Gerard Cummins (78) of Rathkineely, Ballinagare, Castlerea died in Mayo University Hospital on November 17, 2015, a day after he taken unconscious from his home which caught fire.
The inquest into his death which took place in Castlebar heard that Mr Cummins died as a result of asphyxia due to smoke inhalation.
The fire was first noticed by James Moran and Gene Farrell, both from Frenchpark, who were travelling to Dublin when they noticed flames coming from a house at 6.10am.
They drove up to the house and noticed that the fire was coming from the kitchen. Mr Moran said he knew the house belonged to Ger Cummins and when they found out he was in it, they went to try to get in.
They entered the house but on two occasions they had to retreat because of the smoke. On the third occasion, they kept low and found Mr Cummins lying on the ground and they lifted him out of the house.
He was unconscious when he was taken out and was brought to his son’s house which was close by. Mr Cummins was fully dressed when they found him on the floor and was covered in soot.
Mr Cummins was initially brought by ambulance to Sligo General Hospital and then transferred to Mayo University Hospital in Castlebar. He passed away on November 17 at 11.09pm.
A Garda investigation into the cause of the fire found that it was likely to have been caused by an electrical fault in a fridge.
Coroner for South Mayo, John O’Dwyer commended Mr Moran and Mr Farrell for their actions on the morning saying they had put their lives at risk by going back into the building in order to find Mr Cummins and try to save him.
He recorded a verdict of accidental death and expressed his sympathy to the family of Mr Cummins. The Cummins family, through their solicitor, also echoed Mr O’Dwyer’s comments regarding Mr Moran and Mr Farrell and thanked them for their courage.