- RAC Patrolman John Walshe came to the boy’s rescue using an object from his van.
The RAC’s fleet of breakdown patrols have their hands full attending to vehicle breakdowns across the country, but one of its technicians recently took time out from his regular day job to come to the rescue in a very different kind of emergency.
RAC technician John Walshe has been hailed as a “hero” after helping free a six-year-old boy who had his head trapped between a metal railing while playing with friends in a park near Dublin last week.
This is the tool (normally used to get broken engines running again) that John used to free the boy from his troubling situation.
RAC technician John Walshe has received a raft of praise after helping to free a six-year-old boy who had his head trapped between a metal railing in Dublin.
Six-year-old Isaac Jago Kohls is said to have been enjoying the summer holidays playing with friends in the People’s Park south of the town of Dún Laoghaire before he became trapped between two railings of a metal fence.
After his family made several unsuccessful attempts to dislodge Isaac’s head, a woman who was helping his mother called the local fire department.
At that moment, RAC patrolman John Walshe was passing by and noticed Isaac and his family were in distress.
After stopping to check everything was okay, John, who covers Dublin and the surrounding area, knew immediately which tool in the back of his van could be used to free Isaac.
Running to his repair vehicle, he returned with a jack (normally reserved for lifting a car off the ground at the side of the road to fix a puncture or replace a tire) to widen the fence enough for Isaac to stick his head out within seconds.
As he drove by, John noticed the boy and his family were in distress and stopped to see if he could offer help. He immediately knew what tool he could use in the back of his pickup truck to free Isaac…
John used a jack (normally used to lift a car off the side of the road to fix a flat or replace a tire) to widen the fence enough so Isaac could stick his head out in seconds.
Isaac’s mother, Vicky Jago, has described John as a hero.
“We couldn’t be more grateful to John, who is now hailed as a true hero by Isaac and his relieved friends and family,” he said.
‘I’m sure John didn’t expect to use his recovery experience to help a six-year-old last week!
‘We were overwhelmed by the support from the local community and the kind passers-by who stopped to help, including the owner of the cafe and the kind woman who called the fire brigade on our behalf.
‘Most importantly, it was pure luck that John was passing by and, out of the goodness of his heart, stopped, freeing Isaac within minutes.’
John said: ‘I was driving along the main road in Dún Laoghaire when I saw poor Isaac crying his eyes out, distraught because his head was stuck.
‘After stopping to make sure it was okay, I widened the railings using the jack, which freed it up very quickly.
“The firefighters arrived right after me and gave Isaac the all clear. When I left, he was much more cheerful and I’m sure he was enjoying an ice cream.”