A second year engineering student, who was meant to be going to Longitude in Marlay Park last weekend but sold his ticket, saved the life of an elderly woman whose car plunged into a river in Donegal.
Andrew Johnston was visiting Buncrana, Co. Donegal with his girlfriend for the weekend when, after passing through Porthall, Andrew noticed what he thought was a car crash on the road at the Suile Bridge.
Speaking to the Independent.ie, Johnston said:
I thought it was a crash but then I noticed this guy coming running towards me. He asked me if I could swim and brought me to the edge of the river...What I saw unfolding before me was the scariest thing I have seen in my life. I saw the wreckage of a car and a man, whose face was covered in blood, was standing on the top of an upturned car. I'm not a gold medal swimmer but I got out to him and asked him if there was anybody else in the car.He told me his wife was in the car. To be honest, it wasn't the answer I wanted to hear but I knew I had to do something.
The University of Ulster student tried four times to reach Mrs Loreta McKinlay before managing to find her on the rear passenger side of the car. Andrew, assisted by Mr McKinlay, then jumped back into the water and managed to pull open the rear passenger door.
They managed to bring an unconscious Mrs McKinlay to the riverbank but couldn't get her to dry land as the river bank was too steep.Passersby helped lift Mrs Mc Kinlay off the riverbank and onto the road. Once the rescue services arrived, Andrew went to his car to change his clothes and returned to find the scene of the crash had been cordoned off.
I was absolutely soaking from the river and I went to change my clothes. When I came back they had put up a cordon and I could not get past it again.At that stage I thought I had done all I could and I drove on with my girlfriend.
Andrew went to stay at the Harbour Inn in Buncrana on Saturday night but continued to check his social media to find out any news on Mr and Mrs McKinlay. It was only today that he realised he was being described as the mysterious hero who saved Mrs McKinlay.
I don't want to describe myself as a hero. I just wanted to find out how the couple were. I'm hoping they will be okay. I don't want to think what could have happened. A lot of people helped out on the day and I was just one of them...I should have been at Longitude but sold my tickets and decided to come to Donegal. I even got off my part-time job a little early so I shouldn't really have been passing by that river. Life works in mysterious ways.
Management at the Harbour Inn in Buncrana have decided to give Andrew and his girlfriend a free tw0-night stay to use in future.
