Teen comes to the rescue of cyclist after serious fall in Ballyhoura Mountains

A CYCLIST has thanked a County Limerick teenager “with all my heart” for coming to his rescue after he suffered serious injuries while cycling in the Ballyhoura Mountains.

Sixteen-year-old Scott Bevan from Bruff and his friend David Griffin from Athlacca were cycling in the Ballyhouras when they got separated and took two different routes.

The decision taken by Scott to go in another direction proved crucial and almost certainly life-saving as he came upon a man covered in blood in a semi-conscious state.

“It wasn’t pitch dark but it was getting dark. I didn’t really see him first, I saw the bike first and then I saw the man. He was fairly bad. He couldn’t stand or walk and he didn’t have that much English as he is Polish as far as I know. He was bleeding. I wouldn't even recognise him,” Scott recalled this week.

“My first instinct was to see if he was OK and if he would walk but he couldn’t so I told him to stay on his side incase he got sick. He was in a very bad state.”

Scott, who is in transition year in Colaiste Iosaef in Kilmallock, warned the man not to move and then cycled as fast as he could to get to his friend David.

“I saw this girl who looked lost and I asked her was she missing anyone and she said she was so I said follow me. She knew him. She was on the phone to the ambulance and I went on the phone to the ambulance as well to give more details as she was trying to calm the man down and help him.”

David’s father came on the scene and assisted while Scott  made his way out to the road to wait for the ambulance.

“ A fella in a car called Jess came along and asked if I was OK,” said Scott who then made his way to the house of friends he knows in the area to got blankets.

“The ambulance crew decided not to move him because of the condition he was in, in case he had a spinal injury so they had to get the fire brigade out. I was just hoping he was OK and working on adrenalin,” Scott added.

The man, Pawel Glowczyk who is originally from Poland and now living in Kenmare, was taken to  Cork University Hospital for treatment following the incident which happened on July 3 at around 10pm.

“We couldn’t get any information on his condition because we wouldn’t be relatives,” said Scott’s dad Peter.

“In recent weeks he got in contact with the people in Ballyhoura who in turn rang us to say he was trying to contact Scott to thank him.”

Pawel who was in hospital for four weeks with a head injury contacted Scott via Facebook in recent days to thank him for all his help.

“I thank you with all my heart,” read Pawel’s message to Scott which Pawel shared with the Limerick Leader.

“I am grateful to you for what you have done. I'm feeling better and better. Day by day is improving. Thank you. Best wishes.”

Since the incident Scott has completed a lifesaving course in UL and according to his dad  he “passed it with flying colours”.