The Men on the front-line of Boyne river rescue

Drogheda Independent - Friday October 4th 2002

ONE of the busiest weeks in the history of Boyne Fishermen Rescue and Recovery Service (BFRRS) ended on Saturday with the discovery of the body of a local man, missing for a week, in the River Boyne.

The local river rescue service had to deal with five call outs in five days with a spate of people entering the river, resulting in two lost lives and three rescues.

On Saturday, September 21st, the crew of BFRRS were called out as a man in his latest 20's was sighted entering the River Boyne at the Haymarket Bridge.

It was seven days of intense searching, often for 14 hours each day, before the man's body was recovered at 10.30 am on Saturday morning, September 28th. He had been named as Derek Faherty of Pearse Park. Gardai said they are not treating the death as suspicious.

Michael Hodgins from BFRRS revealed it had been a very stressful as well as busy time for the rescue volunteers.

'We were working from daybreak until dark searching for the body and hoping to end his family's misery by bringing him home. There are 42 of us in the Boyne Fishermen's Rescue and we have all been doing our very best,' said Mr Hodgins.

'Every one of our men and women know the River Boyne inside and out and are very dedicated to the cause. No one will rest until we find a body.'

Just two days after the first man went missing, volunteers of BFRRS were called away again as a second man was seen going into the river at 10.00 pm on Monday, September 23rd. The BFRRS were immediately on the scene but were unable to save the man. His body was recovered at 10.45 pm the same evening.

Gardai pulled out the body of another man alive at the same time.

As the recovery search continued, BFRRS boats were called to the scene of another body entering the river on Thursday, September 26th, the fourth call out in just five days.

A BFRRS diver returning home for an hour's break during the recovery efforts saw a man in the river, quickly put back on his dry suit and swam out to him, holding him up until the rescue boat arrived.

That same evening at 7.30 pm, the crew were out searching at the North Quay when a young girl was spotted entering the river and, fortunately, they were just seconds away and were able to save her. She was taken to the Lourdes Hospital and was later released.

Although the week-long search is not the longest search carried out by BFRRS, it was certainly one of the most eventful weeks experienced by the local rescue service.

'We have often been helping for five months with searches around the country but this was a very busy week, with five people going into the river,' said Mr Hodgins.

© Drogheda Independent