Revealed : The Offaly hero who saved Ibiza swimming victim

Offaly hero John Mitchell, who performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on triplet Jake Howe in Ibiza just two weeks ago after he fell into a swimming pool, is to hold a benefit night later this month to help cover the boy"s medical expenses. John, who lives in Birr, and his daughter Savanna were looking forward to a holiday with John"s sister Jacqueline Dunne, her husband Aidan, his nephew Keith Dunne and Keith"s girlfriend Verona Conroy, and flew out to Ibiza on the same flight as four-year-old triplets Jake, Josh and Jamie Howe, and parents Michelle Howe and Declan Molloy. Just one day later however, the holiday mood was interrupted when Jake was pulled out of the swimming pool at Hotel Ola Club Cala Llenya. 'He was in the water for a good ten minutes, which is a long, long time,' John says. 'Keith saw Jake being taken out of the pool. I don"t know who took him out, but he was just left at the edge of the pool. That"s when I ran and started to carry out CPR. I did mouth-to-mouth and the lifeguard pressed on his chest. We worked on him for nearly a full hour before paramedics and a doctor came and took over.' Little Jake was taken to hospital immediately and transferred to hospital in Majorca that night, where he was put into an induced coma. Last Wednesday night the four-year-old was taken off the medication that was keeping him unconscious and he is now breathing by himself. Doctors are still carrying out tests however, to see if Jake, from Tallaght, has suffered any brain damage from the pool accident, though a CT scan shortly after the swimming pool drama showed no signs of such damage. 'Michelle rang me yesterday afternoon from Majorca to thank me,' John said yesterday, adding that since coming out of the coma little Jake is doing 'pretty well'. Jake"s family are hoping to bring him home to Ireland as soon as possible, but have massive transport and medical costs to add to communication and accommodation costs while in Majorca. The Jake Howe Appeal Fund was set up recently for anyone looking to help financially, and John is now organising a benefit night in The Beehive pub in Mountbolus to give more to the fund. 'The Exiles MCC have already given €500 to kick it off,' he said yesterday. John said he came up with the idea on Wednesday night, and has at this stage to organise everything. He says there will definitely be a band and a raffle on the night however, and he would appreciate support from all.