Four gardaí in Co Kerry have been praised for their "quick thinking" and "selfless bravery" after rescuing a woman in her 60s from a housefire in the Killarney area.
The incident happened at Arbutus Grove at around 9.20pm last Friday evening.
Following reports of a smell of smoke coming from the house, gardaí arrived to find smoke coming from a back window.
After initial efforts to get inside the house failed, a small window was smashed and gardaí then managed to unlock the door.
The four gardaí - Eddie Meaney, Martine Desmond, Tom Moynihan and Patrick Finnegan – found the woman inside motionless but conscious, with the house filled with smoke.
The woman was quickly moved outside, before receiving medical attention from Garda Desmond and Garda Meaney.
Local fire services later extinguished the blaze, while the woman was brought to hospital for what were non life-threatening injuries.
The gardaí involved received medical treatment following the incident - two of whom requiring treatment for smoke inhalation – but have since returned to active duty.
Garda Superintendent Flor Murphy commended those involved, saying that without their quick thinking and selfless bravery, there would have been a tragic outcome.
