It’s every parent’s worst nightmare.
A mum and dad who left their six-month-old baby in the car for a moment at Lough Derg found themselves in a life or death situation when the parked car started to roll towards the water.
The incident, which occurred at Knockaphort Pier in Mountshannon last Saturday afternoon, saw the vehicle speed towards Lough Derg as the baby’s mother screamed for help.
Angler John Barry, who happened to be fishing nearby, jumped to the rescue and, together with the baby’s mother, managed to pull the car seat holding the child from the car.
Mr Barry told the Clare Champion: “The woman and I both went to the car. It was taking on considerable water. The water was up to my waist and the car had gone past me; the water was well up to the seats of the car.”
“The baby and the car seat were taken from the car. There were shoes floating around and a few other bits and pieces and I took those out of the car and brought them up, as much as I could salvage, before it got too wet,” he said.
Miraculously, a tragedy was avoided and the baby was none the wiser.
“The baby wasn’t in any way traumatised.” Mr Barry continued. “The baby didn’t even get wet. I never saw such a happy baby in all my life. The baby was smiling in its mother’s arms, going up the pier.”
