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In search of his Irish heritage, a Nebraskan had just arrived in Dublin when he saw a man struggling in the River Liffey.

Joe Sheehan, 20, who will be a junior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, took off his shirt and shoes, put down his backpack and other valuables and jumped in the river.

He rescued the guy Saturday, but he soon became an extreme example of the ironic saying that no good deed goes unpunished. While he was in the water, someone ran off with his wallet and phone.

Fortunately, three Dubliners who witnessed what happened came to Joe’s rescue.

“I literally would have been stranded in Dublin alone and with nothing but 4 euros and my passport,” Joe told me Tuesday by email. “If it wasn’t for them taking me out on the town and letting me crash at their apartment that night, I would have been absolutely helpless.”

Joe’s story brought a lot of news coverage, including a Tueday article in the Daily Mirror headlined: “Robbed as he rescues a man from River Liffey; Brave US tourist’s wallet and phone taken as he saves a life.”

He appreciates people’s gratitude and sympathy, but also would like it if everyone kindly knocked off the “heroic tourist” and “bravery” comments.