Limerick Major Recognizes Lee Reeves Life Saving Heroics
Life-saver Lee Reeves has received special praise from The Major of Limerick City.
Mayor Francis Foley has contacted the fighter to thank him for his ‘incredible act of bravery’ after the boxer saved a woman from drowning in the river Shannon.
The Limerick Treaty Suicide Prevention (LTSP) ambassador dropped 20 feet into the river to aid and rescue a drowning woman back in March.
Having just returned from training with his coach Dee Walsh in Belfast Reeves answered a last-minute request and teamed up with the local river patrol group that evening.
Whilst on patrol a call came in revealing a woman had fallen into the water and Reeves and another LTSP member responded.
For insurance and personal safety reasons, members of Limerick’s river patrol suicide prevention groups are not encouraged to provide on-land assistance until emergency services arrive rather than enter the water during interventions.
However, speaking at the time Reeves said he had no other option but to get in the water.
“As good as the emergency services are, it was going to take time for them to get there and this lady had just minutes left. I knew time was running out.
“One of the team tied a rope to a bicycle stand and I started to lower myself down. It was good twenty feet and then the rope snapped and I just went straight down into the river.”
“I grabbed her and grabbed one of the ropes already in the river and just held her face out of the water.
“The fire brigade arrived but they couldn’t get down to us. They just kept shouting to hold on to her. I can tell you, I wasn’t planning to let go.”
The fighters bravery hasn’t gone unnoticed and this week was recognized by the Major.
“Very nice thing to receive from my cities mayor in the post this morning,” Reeves said online when sharing a letter he recieved from the Major.
“Thank you to Mayor Francis Foley for the kind words and all the people of my city who relayed the positive comments to me. It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice. I promise to do so much too put my city on the map in a more positive light and better circumstances please God.”
