I'm always pleased when somebody posts a genuinely feel-good, positive, uplifting story here. I wish there were more. So, here's a really good one, from Ireland. One of the brothers says, "I just didn't want to give up on her." I wish I could buy that man a pint. Or three.

Well, here's to all four of these brothers! Slainte!

By The Washington Post

The girl on the pink flamingo-shaped raft was floating away quickly, screaming as her father yelled for a lifeguard who didn't appear.

Four brothers, who were visiting Ireland from Virginia and Maryland, had just unpacked their towels after arriving at Portmarnock Beach near Dublin, where they had expected to spend a relaxing afternoon Monday. Before they could think about it, they were sprinting into the sea and swimming toward the girl as fast as they could during the almost hour-long rescue.

"I knew we were getting deep, but I didn't care," Declan Butler, 18, said Wednesday in an interview. "I just didn't want to give up on her."

One stroke, then another in the cold, sometimes choppy water as they raced toward the girl in the distance. They had a moment of panic when the 6-year-old was still far away and fell off the raft and briefly dipped under the water, then popped back up.

It was adrenaline that propelled the brothers to speed swim for about 25 minutes until they were close enough to yell to her that she would be okay, that they would bring her back to shore, Declan said.

Declan, his twin Eoghan Butler, and Walter Butler, 21, are strong athletes. So is their brother-in-law, Alex Thomson. Three had swum competitively, and Thomson, 24, is an ultra-runner. Walter had been a rescue swimmer on a Coast Guard cutter.

Still, swimming to reach the girl - they estimated that she was a half-mile out - was harrowing, they said. Declan and Eoghan, who live in Arlington, Virginia, and Thomson, who lives in Rockville, Maryland, said they weren't sure how long she'd be able to hold on to the raft.

When they finally reached her, they helped keep her head above water and took turns swimming on their backs with the girl on their chests as they made their way against the current back to shore.

"It was intense. It was emotional," Thomson said. "If anything, it was extremely rewarding once we got to her."

Walter, who also lives in Virginia, had waited on the beach in case he needed to perform first aid. He swam out to meet them when they got close and brought the girl the rest of the way to land.

Walter also said that as the brothers were swimming out toward the girl, her father grabbed a life vest, threw it around his own neck and swam out to try to save his daughter, as well. But the father was not a strong swimmer, and after the girl was safe on land, the father was still in the water.

The girl's brother approached the four rescuers for more help, and two of them swam back in to get the father.

"Eoghan and Declan actually brought the dad into shore, as well," Walter said.

Beachgoers rushed to the girl to cover her in layers of towels as the brothers moved her into a beach tent to protect her from the elements, they said. A rescue service crew and paramedics arrived a few minutes later and brought the girl to a hospital. She was later released.

As the brothers recovered on the beach after the rescue, they felt the pressure that had built up in their chests slowly subside. They figured the pressure was from the cold water mixed with the stress of saving the girl.

The girl's family, who lives in Ireland and has declined to be named, visited the brothers Tuesday at the house where they're staying to thank them.

"Seeing her jump around, kiss her mom, that was actually amazing," Declan said.

Two days after they saved the 6-year-old, the brothers were still thinking about an unlikely twist of fate: They had traveled to Ireland to celebrate the life of their recently deceased grandfather, whose brother drowned on the same date decades before the rescue.

“It’s kind of like this godly, guardian angel kind of feeling,” Walter said, “that the same day he drowned 64 years ago is the day we actually saved the life of a 6-year-old girl.”

https://www.pennlive.com/natio...ve-in-after-her.html

Feel good stories are always welcome and appreciated. Need more of them.

^^^ You ain't kidding. Glad to hear all worked out well.

Good on those American boys!

Awesome!

Proud of our boys!

quote:

Portmarnock Beach

Google shows that the warmest the sea gets in that particular area in July is around 60 degrees. That is a harrowing swim, not for the faint of heart. Well done gents.

Awesome story and outcome! It's AMAZING to think those four men were put there at that exact moment in time with the swimming experience and credentials they have. AstroNOMICAL odds!!!

God bless those young men. Wow, if not for their courage, vigor and swimming strength, it likely becomes a tragedy.

I hope those boys get recognized by the Irish government, they used their gift of athleticism to overcome the obstacles threatening this young girl.
I could not have saved her if I had happened to be there, but they did wow!!

HK Ag

Good job.

However, they’re very lucky. I was an ocean lifeguard for 20 years and this sort of thing usually results in everyone drowning.

Happens a few times every summer. Kid goes swimming after lifeguards leave, gets stuck in a riptide, parents and bystanders go out to help, then they get caught it the rip as well and all involved wash up on the shoreline 3 days later.

I suspect they'll have a hard time buying their own pints of the black stuff.

In fact the quantity of free beer available to them is staggering to consider.

quote:

Originally posted by HK Ag:
I hope those boys get recognized by the Irish government, they used their gift of athleticism to overcome the obstacles threatening this young girl.
I could not have saved her if I had happened to be there, but they did wow!!

HK Ag

Who care about the Irish government....Free Guinness for life!

Cheers.

That's awesome.
Cheers.

Great ending.
I am amazed how many people visit our beaches and have no understanding of the power of the N Atlantic. Rip currents are #1 followed by strong undertows.
Signs are posted everywhere but not a day goes by that some Benny gets in trouble.
Followed by those swimming in the early evening with no lifeguards on duty.
Dusk to dawn is feeding time and only a fool goes in the ocean after dark.

It's hard to understand how there was no other help available given the length of time this went on. Wouldn't there be a boat available to assist in the rescue when we are talking about an hour? This is not to take away from the efforts of the four young men and a happy outcome for all. Great job!

I'm glad this had a happy ending. And kudos for the men for helping.

This seems a little odd.

"... Walter Butler, 21, are strong athletes. ... Walter had been a rescue swimmer on a Coast Guard cutter.

Walter, who also lives in Virginia, had waited on the beach"

Wouldn't a CG rescue swimmer be the most qualified/ most likely to successfully perform a water rescue?

I thought that too. CG rescue swimmers are the best of the best. But he was the most knowledgeable in first aid, so he stayed on shore in case she was in dicey condition. The other three were clearly up to the necessary swimming skills.

Slainte, indeed.