A young Irish Army medic has been hailed a heroine after saving the life of a woman bitten by a deadly snake in the Golan Heights.
The villager fell victim to the notoriously venomous Palestinian viper and would have died but for the quick-thinking of Corporal Paula Burcheal.
The 28-year-old, from Clane, Co Kildare, is a member of the 52 Infantry Group and works as a medical officer with the United Nations Disengagement Observation Force in the war-torn region.
Her life-saving efforts on April 24 were highlighted in social media posts by a proud Irish Defence Forces.
The Army told its 90,000 followers: "This time last week, as most of us were sitting down to our Sunday dinner Corporal Paula Burcheal, a medic with the 52 Infantry Group, was treating a lady that had been bitten by a Palestinian viper.
"The snake, which is found throughout the Golan Heights, is a regular visitor to the positions occupied by Irish troops and its bite, if left untreated, can kill."
Cpl Burcheal assessed the patient and had to rapidly administer antivenom medicine to her intravenously "thereby saving the woman's life".
The 130-strong 52nd Infantry Group is the sixth Irish Defence Forces unit to be deployed to the Golan Heights to safeguard an agreed UN mandate between Israel and Syria.
Cpl Burcheal, a threestar medic, previously admitted she had to overcome a fear of spiders because insect bites are part of her daily work in the region.
She told the Irish Mirror: "When you're out on patrols it's mostly road traffic accidents that happen.
"In the camp itself, it's the obvious like insect bites and scorpion bites.
"I don't know what scorpions they are but they are horrible.
"I have seen one or two snakes as well. At home I'm afraid of spiders and daddy long legs so this is a shock."
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