By Lisa Ramsden
A GROUP of local teenagers have been described as “true heroes” after they rushed to a young woman’s aid when she collapsed close to the edge of a steep bank overlooking Kilkeel beach.
With her daughter Billie now fully recovered from her ordeal, Dianne McMurray praised the teenagers – Callum Ward, Harvey Turner, Noah Haugh, Graham Anderson, Jay Forsythe and Jonnie Annett – for showing the utmost kindness when the 24-year-old, who was by herself, suddenly became unwell.
Billie, who has autism and ADHD, was out for a walk when she unexpectedly collapsed close to a steep bank which overlooks the beach.
Dianne said had it not been for the teenagers’ quick-thinking and awareness, her daughter could have slid or dropped down onto the shoreline and lay there helpless, without anyone realising where she was or that she had become unwell.
After the ordeal, which occurred on Wednesday 8 July, and with Billie home from hospital, Dianne almost immediately launched a social media appeal to try and identify the young men who helped.
In her appeal, Dianne urged people to help her find the group of teenagers who had rushed to Billie’s aid so she could thank them.
She outlined how they had been ‘near the top of the slope at the beach, near the swing park’ when Billie ‘fell near the top of the slope and kept fainting in and out of consciousness’.
She said the teenagers ‘helped look after’ her daughter, reassuring her and using their jackets to shade her from the intense afternoon sun.
It later transpired that once Noah had dialled 999, he and Harvey were advised to go and get the nearest defibrillator, as a precautionary measure.
Once they returned to Billie, and while awaiting the arrival of paramedics, they carried on providing condition updates over the phone to a NI Ambulance Service call handler.
In her appeal, Dianne added: ‘I would dearly love to thank them in person as they may have saved her life. Please everyone share as these boys are heroes.’
