Joe Hayes, goalkeeper for Co.Clare became a hero after saving a woman from drowning on Wednesday morning.

Hayes, who is a guard in Co.Limerick dived in to rescue the 22-year old woman from the River Shannon after she found herself in trouble.

At around 6am on Wednesday, when Guard Hayes began work, two officers- Tadgh Cronin and Brian Darcy noticed the young woman in difficulty at the river by the Shannon Bridge, according to the Irish Independent reports.

The 30-year old goalkeeper raced to the scene to rescue the woman. He managed to get his hands on the woman and swam to safety to a nearby ladder. There he was met and aided by colleagues, Sergeant Pat Brennan, Garda Dermot Murphy, Garda Sean O’Regan and Garda Adrian Egan.

Senior officers at Henry Street Garda station in Limerick city say his actions were “heroic.”

The young woman was yesterday recovering from her encounter with death.