National honour for Ballycastle beach hero

A Ballycastle woman has been hailed as a life-saving heroine for putting her life on the line to go into treacherous seas off Ballycastle to drag two women swimmers from the water after they were overwhelmed by rip tides and high waves.
By Community Reporter
Published 12th May 2020, 08:39 BST
Updated 12th May 2020, 08:39 BST
Andrew Chapman, Secretary of the Royal Humane SocietyAndrew Chapman, Secretary of the Royal Humane Society
Andrew Chapman, Secretary of the Royal Humane Society

Sadly one woman died, but thanks to the brave action of Aine Paterson, who was walking her dog on the beach when the incident happened, the other woman survived.

Now Aine has been awarded a top national bravery honour, a Royal Humane Society Testimonial on Parchment.

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And she has been personally praised by Andrew Chapman, Secretary of the Society, as “a true heroine.”

As he announced the award Mr Chapman said: “The two women who were experienced swimmers had been overwhelmed by the seas that were running that day. Despite the fact she could also have been overwhelmed and swept away, Aine, with no thought for her own safety, went into the treacherous seas not once but twice to pull them out.

“Sadly one of them did not survive but the other did and she owes her life to Aine. What Aine did that day was a completely selfless act of bravery. She was a true heroine and richly deserves the award.”

The incident happened on at around 8.30 on the morning of December 19 last year.

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The roots of the Royal Humane Society stretch back more than two centuries. The Queen is its patron and its president is Princess Alexandra. It is the premier national body for honouring bravery in the saving of human life.

It was founded in 1774 by two of the day’s eminent medical men, William Hawes and Thomas Cogan. Their primary motive was to promote techniques of resuscitation.