Online campaign for tourist robbed during Liffey rescue raises over $1000

Your faith in humanity will be restored, destroyed and restored again when you read this American tourist's story.

Online campaign for tourist robbed during Liffey rescue raises over $1000

A crowd-funding campaign for an American student has raised over €745 ($1000) - double the amount originally requested.

The campaign on Crowdwise was set up by a friend of Joe Sheehan - a student from the university of Nebraska who is studying at Oxford this summer - after an incident during a trip to Dublin left him without his phone or wallet.

While walking over the O'Connell Bridge on his way to a youth hostel, Joe noticed a man geting into difficulty in the Liffey. A trained lifeguard, he quickly stripped off and jumped in to save the man.

Unbelievably, while he was pulling the drowning man to safety, his smartphone and wallet were robbed - he had left them on the banks before jumping in. All Joe had left were his clothes.

Some bystanders had seen everything that had happened and decided to help him - they treated Joe to a night out as well as helping him to organise food, accommodation and travel.

The crowd-funding campaign was then set up by Joe's friends back in the US to help him replace the stolen items. Now that the campaign has surpassed that amount, Mr Sheehan has said he will donate the excess to charity.

A message on the campaign page says that Joe "is unbelievably grateful for everyone who has donated so far."

"He could not believe it. He also wanted to say that any extra money donated past what he needs to replace his stolen items will be donated to ALS in the Heartland."

Yay for happy endings!

[H/T: The Daily Edge]

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