The Dublin singer has given his side of the story...
We brought you the story earlier today about
Irish singer-songwriter Damien Dempsey rescuing a person in Wexford following the Strawberry Fest in Ennicorthy last night.
The man himself has now released a statement clearing up exactly what happened, and Damien is keen to give advice to people who find themselves in a similar situation in future.
“We pulled up for the gig and could see a couple of lads in the river," he said.
"One of them was bobbing up and down and trying to come up for air. He was obviously struggling to keep afloat and his friend couldn’t keep him up for long. I wasn’t gonna go in as people often get pulled down by the person they are saving and get into trouble themselves. I happened to find a sheet, waded into the river, not too deep, threw it to the lad who grabbed it so I could pull him in.
"I do a lot of sea swimming and have a good few friends who are lifeguards who say the last thing you ever do is dive into the water if you can help it. You need a connection with the land.”
Please take heed of Damien's advice. We know this sunny weather is great and when you're roasting, jumping into the water seems like the best idea ever. But you need to be careful lads, have a laugh but stay safe out there too. Sound.
