A teenager has been recognised for his actions in attempting to save a friend who died after getting into difficulty while swimming in Co Cork last year.
David Akar, 15, from Togher in Co Cork, is one of the youngest recipients of a National Bravery Award.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, David, who was 13 at the time, said he and another friend had jumped into the water first to check the current, which he described as "not very good".
He said the rest of their group then jumped in and he "straight away" noticed something was wrong with two of his friends.
"I sprung into action and just dived into the water. The first thing that came to my mind was to try and save the two of them," he explained.
"I went for the smallest person first ... I put him up over my right shoulder and I paddled back to the pontoon. The current was very strong and it was going against me. He got pulled up and climbed the ladder.
"I swam back over to Jack but he was after getting dragged away another few metres into the water. I swam back as fast as I could and I screamed to go get help.
"I pulled Jack as close as I could. There was a small blue speedboat to the right side of the pontoon. We were talking and I had him over my right shoulder. I motivated myself to keep going, keep going, for his sake, for my sake.
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"That's when things took a turn for the worse. We weren't going anywhere, the current was just not with us that day.
"I tried my very best. As I got to the boat I presumed Jack was right behind me as I had pulled him. I climbed onto the boat and as I turned around, Jack was not there."
David said he then jumped back into the water and swam several metres down to where he presumed Jack was. He said he grabbed in the water trying to find his friend but he was "just grabbing green moss and water".
He said he swam back and rang his mother, who had heard a number of sirens heading in their direction and rushed to the scene.
They realised then that Jack had passed away, he said.
"I feel very honoured (to receive this award) and I'm just remembering Jack the whole way through the process," he said.
David's mother Pamela Creegan said the family is very proud of David, who had been taking swimming lessons since the age of three before going on to take lifeguard lessons.
Speaking on the same programme, she said her son did his "very best" to try and save his friend and went back into the river "three or four times".
"David wasn't thinking of his own safety, his concern was for his friends. He had helped one out already and he kept going back for Jack," she said.
"He was very brave on the day and we're very, very honoured to be receiving the award today, we're very proud of David.
"It's bittersweet. It's a fabulous award, David's very honoured to be receiving it and I'm very honoured for David to be receiving it, but our thoughts will be with Jack's mum, dad, sisters and his brother.
"The impact that losing Jack has had on their lives has been terrible, very sad for them."
The National Bravery Awards will take place in Farmleigh House in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.
The awards celebrate people across Ireland who have risked their own lives to aid others in trouble.
The ceremony will be presented by Seán Ó Fearghaíl as one of his last duties as Ceann Comhairle.
