A young Donegal man is being honoured with a National Bravery Award today, after he ran into a burning house twice to rescue an elderly man.
Kealan Dolan was travelling home from lunch with his grandfather when they noticed smoke coming from the house.
Kealan, 22 at the time, rushed in after calling the man’s name and hearing him inside. He found the man sitting in a chair, surrounded by smoke and appearing incapacitated.
Despite Kealan’s efforts to persuade him, the man initially refused to leave. As the heat and smoke worsened and Kealan began to be overcome, he made the decision to drag the man from the chair and pull him physically out of the house to safety.
As they exited, a flashover occurred, blowing out the windows and leaving the house almost completely gutted.
Gardaí who attended the scene noted that it was thanks to Kealan’s quick actions that no fatalities occurred. The occupant was taken by ambulance to hospital for treatment of minor injuries and smoke inhalation.
For his bravery, Kealan Dolan has been awarded a Bronze Medal and a Certificate of Bravery.
