The annual Water Safety Awards were held at a virtual ceremony yesterday evening.
Five teenagers returning from a fishing trip in Fountainstown in August saved the life of a man who entered the water to rescue his son.
The 9 year old boy was on an inflatable device when he began drifting out to sea.
Jamie Venner, Cillian Foster, Richard McSweeney, Kate Horgan and Harry Pritchard were on a fishing trip when they saw the boy. The boy's father entered the water to rescue him but was forced to cling to a marker buoy due to exhaustion. The boy made it back to the shore and his father was rescue by the teenagers.
Niamh McMahon, Lynn McCarthy and Beth Derrar were given awards for saving the life of four surfers who got in difficulty in May, while another trio- Nathan Holding, Cathal Keohane and Connell O'Herlihy- also saved the life of a man and his son at Inchydoney beach last year.
Awards were also given to Gardaí based in the City, Mallow and Castletownbere for successfully rescuing people from the water.
Garda Liam Glennon, Garda David Fenton and Garda Nigel Desmond all saved lives while on duty.
