A hero scout has been praised for saving his sister’s life after her coat became snagged in the door of a moving bus.

Jake Duffy (12) and younger sister Katelyn, from Castaheany in West Dublin, were taking a private bus home from school last April 8 when the dramatic rescue took place.

After disembarking Jake heard the screams of parents and children who were at the West Dublin stop scream in horror. Katelyn’s coat had been snagged in the door mechanism unbeknownst to the driver.

Karl Lynch, Jake’s leader in the 181st Castaheany/Ongar, said Jake “disregarded his own safety” and ran after the bus banging and shouting as loud as he could to get the driver’s attention.

Expand Close Jake Duffy / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Jake Duffy

“He was that close to the bus that had he slipped, one could only imagine the outcome. Regardless, Jake continued to chase the bus endeavouring to get the driver’s attention while all the time seeing his sister being dragged along the road.”

Eventually, after several hundred metres, the driver noticed Jake and brought the vehicle to a stop.

Mr Lynch said: “Had it not been for Jake’s quick thinking, stamina and determination to keep up with the bus the outcome could have been so much worse. Katelyn’s hood had become snagged by the door and was only held onto the coat by a couple of threads by the time the bus stopped. Somehow even after being dragged by the bus she survived the ordeal without a scratch, not a mark.”

Jake is one of a group of scouts who will be honored at a special Founder’s Day ceremony, organised by Scouting Ireland, in Dublin tomorrow.

Read More

Twins Peter and Rory O’Connor, cubs with the 44th Mallow cub section, will also be awarded after saving their grandmother and older sister from a house fire.

Despite being the youngest people in the house at the time the pair took over and managed to get their grandmother out of the burning building.

The brothers had just completed their emergency adventure skills Level 1 which a spokesman claims “gave them the confidence to do what needed to be done”.

Scouting Ireland is Ireland's largest non-formal youth education movement in Ireland with over 50,000 members in communities across the island.

Expand Close Peter and Rory O’Connor / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Peter and Rory O’Connor

Online Editors