Awarded for their bravery at Water Safety Ireland awards

- Louise Walsh -

Multiple people connected to the Celt region were awarded for their bravery and quick thinking at the Water Safety Ireland awards last Tuesday (October 13).

Among them, brothers Troy and Evan Hewitt rescued a teenager from waters in Sligo, and have warned swimmers to always be vigilant of conditions.

In an unrelated incident, Cian Sheridan, also from Arva, rescued a teenager struggling in the waters of Garty Lough beside his home town.

At Emy Lough in Monaghan, on May 25, four members of the public - Dzintra McConnon, Oran McConnon, Johnny McConnell and Niall Mohan - were among those to respond when a boy disappeared underwater.

After an extensive search, Oran located the boy and brought him to the surface. Johnny immediately began CPR while still in the water, and the group worked together to bring the boy ashore and continue resuscitation until emergency services arrived. The boy was taken to hospital and made a full recovery.

Separately, during a water-safety training session at Brackley Lake in Bawnboy, on July 17, Uainionn McManus noticed a young boy in difficulty on a paddleboard.

When attempts to communicate with the boy were unsuccessful, Uainionn volunteered to enter the water. She swam out, reassured and supported the boy, and guided the paddleboard safely back to shore.

All were recognised by the Water Safety Ireland awards for their vigilance and bravery in getting the people to safety. They received the ‘Just In Time’ and Rescue Appreciation Awards 2026.

Troy (22) and Evan Hewitt (20) had been enjoying a dip and a sauna in Rosses Point on July 10 when they spotted a young boy getting into difficulty in the choppy waters.

Evan said himself, his brother and their girlfriends Abbie Tynan and Kayleigh McDonagh were enjoying the sauna and jumping off the nearby pier when he noticed a group of teens in the water.

“It was misty and the waves were about two foot high and strong so I was keeping an eye on the group and noticed one of them going under a few times. So I jumped in and swam over to him.

“I got to him and held onto him but the current was very strong so I couldn’t get him into the shore so I shouted to Troy who was on the pier to help and he jumped in straightaway.

“We got him to safety and he was pretty shaken up. He was about 12 or 13 years old. We didn’t get his name but we did ask him to tell his parents and get checked out in case he had swallowed a lot of water.”

The pair haven’t heard from the boy since.

Evan said that although the pair were strong swimmers, the gravity of the situation only hit them afterwards.

“We just swam as hard as we could. The fight or flight survival instinct just kicked in and we didn’t think about what we were doing at the time.

“We would be confident swimmers but this really brought into perspective just how dangerous the current can be. It made us realise that all swimmers should check the conditions and local knowledge of the area and never go swimming alone,” Troy said.

Dad Mark is so proud of his sons: “That’s them in a nutshell, they just do what needs to be done. The gravity of the situation has only really hit me. Not alone would that young lad possibly have died but I could have lost my two amazing sons.

“They assessed the situation and made the right call on the day and I’m so proud of them.”

Separately, on May 30 at Garty Lough, Cian Sheridan responded immediately when he saw a teenager struggling in the water.

Without hesitation, Cian entered the lake, reached the boy and supported him back to the jetty, where others helped bring him to safety. His quick thinking and courage prevented a tragedy.

The Des Kenny award went to Evan Rooney, Emma Farnan and Tara Shannon who came upon the scene of a serious road traffic collision in Shercock. Evan immediately commenced CPR on a young child in cardiac arrest, while Emma and Tara assisted in the emergency response.

Despite the tragic loss of both the mother and child, their composure, teamwork and selfless efforts ensured the highest possible standard of care was provided until emergency services arrived.

Meanwhile, Long Service Awards were also presented to Fiona Lynch from Monaghan (30 years) and Lesley Harrisson (40 years) and Olivia Quinn (20 years) from Cavan in recognition of a voluntary commitment to promoting a public awareness of water safety and rescue.