Tommy praised for rescue of younger teen on Lough Lene

A 14-year-old boy is being credited this week with having likely saved the life of a younger child who got into difficulties while swimming at Lough Lene.

Tommy Power and his sister, Isabel (11) were enjoying the glorious sunshine at the North Westmeath lake on Wednesday of last week when they noticed a boy who was swimming a bit further out begin to panic.

“The young lad – I’d say he was about nine maybe or so – but he went out a little bit too far and lost his footing,” says Tommy’s mother, Noeleen.

The boy realised he was in trouble: “he went under the water; he came back up; he screamed for help, went back underneath the water again, kind of came back up and took in some water.”

Tommy – who is a tall boy – waded over to where the child was, and grabbed him.

The boy’s mother was at that stage running into the lake to rescue her son, and she was greatly relieved that Tommy had swung into action so quickly.

“He was in a lot of shock, the young lad, obviously, and later I did go over to check with his mother, but he was fine at that stage, although she said he had got an awful fright,” says Noeleen.

“He [Tommy] flew into action pretty fast, because everybody else was a bit in shock and wondering what was going on.”

Noeleen and husband Tom are proud of Tommy for doing the right thing and taking action.

While the family are from Collinstown, they live now in a town called Finedon in Northamptonshire, England, and at school, Tommy and Isabel have learned to swim.

Cllr David Jones, who met Tommy at the lake the day following the rescue, described him as “a brilliant young man”.