Awards for homeless man, engineer in Liffey rescue

A homeless man who rescued a Bus Eireann driver from the Liffey later returned to the streets to sleep in his wet clothes.

Mr Tony Paget (26) was one of two men who climbed into the bus after it crashed through the wall at Butt Bridge last Sunday week. The men lifted the unconscious driver from a submerged section of the bus and placed him above the water pending the arrival of Dublin Fire Brigade.

The second rescuer was Mr Dimitrios Paraskevakis (31) a civil engineer from Scotland who is working in Dublin. Both men later made statements at Pearse Street Garda station, after which Mr Paget returned to sleep in a lane. His lower clothes were still soaked from the rescue.

Neither man has been contacted by CIE or Dublin Bus in relation to the incident.

Yesterday morning, as Irish Water Safety prepared to present the men with the organisation's "Just In Time" award for bravery, Mr Paget was found living in a laneway near Moore Street by Dublin city councillor Mr Nicky Kehoe. Mr Paget said he was happy to have helped in the rescue as two of his brothers drowned in the Liffey about four years ago.

Following Irish Water Safety's presentation of a watch, a Tshirt and a baseball cap to each of the rescuers, Mr Kehoe called for an emergency plan to tackle the plight of the homeless in Dublin who, he said, now numbered 6,000. "The truth is that if you fall into the Liffey this Christmas the likelihood is that the first person to reach you will be homeless."

Mr Paul Donovan, chief executive of Irish Water Safety, said the presentation was to acknowledge the efforts of the two men, the fire brigade, gardai and the emergency medical services and to "congratulate them on saving a man's life".

He said the bus driver was still in hospital, having suffered broken bones in the crash.

Mr Donovan added that efforts were continuing "on a private basis" to assist Mr Paget. "We have some plans and we have some friends who have some plans but it is a private thing and beyond that we wouldn't like to say anything."

Mr Kehoe said he would also ask Dublin City Council to honour the men next month.