Charity helps hero tourist who saved man in Liffey

By Cormac Murphy

A CHARITY that assisted a tourist who was robbed while rescuing a man from the Liffey helps several hundred visitors every year, it has said.

The Irish Tourist Assistance Service (ITAS) came to the aid of Joe Sheehan on Saturday after he dived into the Liffey to help a man who got into trouble in the river.

When the trained lifeguard emerged from the water having saved the man, he discovered that his phone and wallet had been stolen.

Joe told the Herald: "They helped me out very much. It was in the police station and they gave me a voucher for a bus.

"I already had my return journey booked so I just had to get all the details to them and they gave me a bus ticket to get there and a voucher for a meal."

ITAS, which is funded by Failte Ireland and other tourism industry groups, was established 20 years ago and has assisted between 12,000 and 13,000 tourists in that time.

Lisa Kennedy, chief executive of ITAS, said the group provided aid to 800 tourists last year, with 92pc of them continuing with their holiday in Ireland.

"We are set up to assist tourists who are victims of crime," she said.

comurphy@herald.ie