Rescue on Mayo lake from 71 years ago recalled

By Tom Gillespie

A DRAMATIC rescue took place at Lough Lannagh, Castlebar, on Monday, June 4, 1951, when Mr. William Lavelle, a member of the staff of Mayo Mental Hospital (later St. Mary’s Hospital), dived fully clothed into the lake and rescued from drowning a four-year-old child, Laurence Guthrie.

The boy was unconscious when taken from the water and Mr. Lavelle, applying artificial respiration for over half an hour, succeeded in bringing him back to life.

After diving in for the child, Mr. Lavelle, himself a poor swimmer, was thrown a lifeline by John Basquill, who, with others, hauled him ashore.

The little boy, son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Guthrie, St. Patrick’s Terrace, went to the lake with his father, who, before going to bathe, left the lad in charge of other boys and instructed them to keep an eye on him.

Michael Waters, a youngster of Rush Street, Castlebar, told a Connaught Telegraph reporter that he went to the lake at about seven o’clock with his brother Vincent. Tom Byrne, Rev. Bro. Byrne, John Basquill and a number of other people were at the diving board.

“William Lavelle came along and had a bathe, and while he was doing so Michael Guthrie came along, bringing his little son with him.

“Michael Guthrie then went for a swim, but before going he left the little boy in charge of other boys, and I heard him instructing them not to let the little child near the water.

“He then dived off the board and swam far out in the lake. In the meantime, Willie Lavelle had come in and dressed and Tom Byrne had gone bathing.

“I was just preparing to go for a swim when Tom Byrne shouted for help, saying there was someone drowning.

“I did not believe him but in rushing over I saw a child’s head bobbing up and down in the water. We all became excited and Willie Lavelle, who was dressed and some distance away, rushed to the scene.

“He said he could not swim and an excited discussion took place regarding who should enter the water. The child was some distance out at the end of the diving board.”

Without wasting any time Willie Lavelle jumped into the water. While Willie Lavelle was in the water John Basquill broke the glass of the case in which a lifebelt is kept and he threw the life belt, with line attached, to Lavelle, who had caught the child by the leg and was struggling in the water with it.

Lavelle grabbed the life belt with one hand and held onto the child with the other hand. Basquill then towed him ashore.

“When the child was brought ashore he showed no signs of life and Mr. Lavelle immediately started to apply artificial respiration when eventually the little fellow showed signs of life and later started to cry for his mama and dad.

“While Willie Lavelle was applying artificial respiration, my brother Vincent ran to the County Hospital to summon help, and at this stage Dr. Gallagher, house surgeon, arrived. Rev. Fr. Kearney, C.C., and nurses Corley, Hynes and Henry, and Michael Ralph, the hospital porter, also arrived with a stretcher, and the child was immediately taken to the hospital.

“Only for Willie Lavelle the child would have been lost because we all got excited and nobody seemed to know what to do.”

Mr. Michael Guthrie, father of the child, told The Connaught Telegraph reporter that, before entering the water, he left his son in the care of a number of older boys and asked them to see that he did not go near the water. He also warned the boy himself to remain sitting on the shore until he returned.

While out in the lake he noticed the commotion at the diving board and sensing that something was wrong he swam ashore and ran to the board.

When he arrived Willie Lavelle was being towed ashore, and he saw his little son and assumed from his appearance that he was dead. He received a great shock and even yet had not quite got over it. Words failed to express his gratitude to Mr. Lavelle and to praise him for his bravery.

Mr. Lavelle, who showed very plainly the effects of the ordeal undergone in effecting the rescue, told The Connaught Telegraph reporter that on Monday evening, after he had his tea, he went to Lough Lannagh with his wife and children. He had a bathe, and had dressed and joined his family for some short time when he heard some boys near the springboard shout: “Someone is drowning.”

He had noticed a person in the water previously but from the movement of the hands concluded that the person was a strong swimmer.

“Immediately I heard the shout I rushed to the diving board, and I was told that there was a child drowning. I thought for a few seconds and paused, knowing that I was a bad swimmer. There was nobody else there who seemed to be able to swim, and there was nothing for it but to take a chance.

“I threw off my jacket, jumped in, and swam to where the child was. Luckily for me he was floating just beneath the surface, and I grabbed him by the ankle.

“I tried to turn him and swim back with him, but the weight of my clothes and shoes seemed to hold me. I looked to the boys on the board and shouted to them to throw me the life belt.

“They did so and I succeeded in grasping the line, but I had difficulty in holding onto the child and keeping my head over water. However, I shouted to the boys to pull me ashore and they did so and this kept both of us from sinking.

“I can swim but badly, and I suppose it was my lack of experience in the water that made it so difficult for me to turn towards the shore after I caught hold of the child.”