![\"Dinnie](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0_WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-09-at-144703jpeg.jpg\")
Dinnie Kiely with his daughter Shauna Kiely at the CCMPSR base on Horgan’s Quay(Image: Eoin Shortiss \/ Cork Beo)<\/p>\nDinnie’s been helping bring peace to Cork families for two decades – and now, they’re repaying him when he needs it mostDinnie Kiely with his daughter Shauna Kiely at the CCMPSR base on Horgan’s Quay(Image: Eoin Shortiss \/ Cork Beo)<\/p>\n
A ‘waxathon’ fundraiser is taking place next month to raise money for a well-known Cork <\/a>missing person search volunteer recovering from a shock medical incident.<\/strong><\/p>\n The event <\/a>will take place at the Harp Bar on Pouladuff Road on the evening of December 6th, with a portion of funds going towards the amazing Cork City Missing Persons Search and Recovery team<\/a> (CCMPSR). The rest of the money will go towards supporting the recovery of Dinnie Kiely – a dad-of-two who has spent almost 20 years bringing peace to families by volunteering with the CCMPSR. The Cork man’s health took a major turn for the worse over summer following a sudden medical incident that left him dead for four minutes while on a callout.<\/p>\n It occurred on 19th August, when Dinnie and four others from the CCMPSR crew were tasked by Garda\u00ed <\/a>to help find the phone of a missing person who was found deceased. The volunteers were combing the banks of the Lee by the Inniscarra Graveyard in the early afternoon for the search. When they had finished and were loading up their van to leave, Dinnie suddenly collapsed.<\/p>\n Speaking to Cork Beo, the 60-year-old said he doesn’t remember most of the callout. All Dinnie knows is what his co-volunteers told him – one minute he was talking to a man with a dog near the graveyard, and the next thing, he was on the ground unconscious.<\/p>\n The CCMPSR crew leapt into action. They found Dinnie had no pulse so they started CPR, called emergency services, and rapidly unpacked their medical equipment from their van. They were told the ambulance was 9 minutes away – but with Dinnie in such a poor state, every second was vital and they feared he might not survive long enough for paramedics to arrive. Thankfully, the amazing West Cork Rapid Response charity<\/a> was on the scene in half the time and helped to resuscitate him.<\/p>\n Later tests in hospital revealed Dinnie had suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and an aneurysm within minutes of each other. He was clinically dead for around 4 minutes.<\/p>\n When the National Ambulance Service arrived at the scene, he was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit in Cork University Hospital<\/a>. Dinnie remained in a coma for three weeks, during which his 60th birthday came and went. It was a very challenging time for his loved ones, especially his two children and lifelong partner Teresa.<\/p>\n But the wider Cork city<\/a> community rallied to support them – organising fundraisers and sending countless mass cards to Dinnie’s family home in the Glen. His daughter Shauna told Cork Beo: “It was the last thing I ever expected. We must’ve gotten millions of mass cards, notices about masses being said in Knock. Everything you could possibly want.”<\/p>\n After waking from his coma, Dinnie spent another three weeks in intensive care before being discharged on September 24th. It was an amazing day for him and all his loved ones – but even today, he’s still facing a long road to recovery with plenty more check-ups ahead. His severe medical incident has had lasting impacts on both his body and his mind.<\/p>\n These days, Dinnie says he’s much more tired, and can only manage slow walks with a few breaks whenever he leaves the house. His memory has also been impacted as he can’t remember anything from roughly two weeks before his aneurysm.<\/p>\n Recent fundraisers were set up to repay Dinnie for his selfless work with the CCMPSR and fund his medical appointments in the coming weeks and months. The next big event is the ‘Waxathon’ at the Harp Bar. Here, people can donate on the night to support the five brave volunteers who will be waxed by local beautician Laura Ahern from Salon 221. A number of spot prizes will also be given out to attendees.<\/p>\n Bar owner, \u00c1ine McLaughlin, has organised countless events for the CCMPSR crew and Mallow Search and Rescue in the past after losing her brother, James, in the water in 2007. This year, she has already raised about \u20ac5k for CCMPSR alone through events at her own pub.<\/p>\n You can keep up to date on all the latest updates on the event on the Harp Bar Facebook page here.<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Dinnie](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0_Dinnie-editedjpgDi.jpg\")
Dinnie responding to a callout in Cork city<\/p>\n![\"Dinnie](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0_Dinnie-Kiely-cork.jpg\")
Dinnie at the CCMPSR base in Cork city<\/p>\n