A FIREFIGHTER from Santry was the inspiration for 24 members of the Southampton Fire Department in the USA to take part in the St Patrick’s Day Parade.
Graham Fynes was joined on the day by his two brothers, Dan and Chris, who are in Dublin Fire Brigade, and his proud dad Damien who led the parade as drum major in the Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe Band.
It was the first time the Southampton Fire Brigade took part in the parade and it was all thanks to Graham.
Last year Graham’s lifesaving skills were put to good use when he was at a party in a beach restaurant. He noticed a commotion outside and learned that somebody was drowning.
Graham, who’s a member of the Southampton Fire Brigade Reserves, ran to the beach just as his pager went off alerting him of the incident. A lady had attempted a rescue attempt but was beaten back by the waves.
Graham asked police who arrived on the scene if they had a rescue board in their patrol car and luckily they did. He ran into the sea and saw a man in difficulty some distance from the shore.
As he swam closer, he realised there were actually two men, with the second supporting the man in difficulty. However, both men were in trouble, but thankfully Graham was joined by another rescuer with a rescue board.
Between them, they managed to get the two swimmers onto the boards and bring them back safely to shore where there was an ambulance waiting to take them to hospital.
Graham then reported to his unit who were now on the scene and his captain jokingly asked him where he had been.
On his return to the restaurant soaking wet Graham finished his by now cold burger and was getting ready to leave when the two cops who had been on the beach sought him out and told him he had done an awesome job.
