Removal of the chloride ligand from the neutral N-heterocyclic carbene complex Ru(IPr)2(CO)HCl (IPr = bis(1,3-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene) by NaBArF4 affords the salt [Ru(IPr)2(CO)H]BArF4 (1), which has been characterised by X-ray crystallography as being stabilised by two agostic Ru...H-C interactions. Addition of an atmosphere of H2 traps this species to afford a spectroscopically characterised dihydrogen hydride complex, [Ru(IPr)2(CO)(eta2-H2)H]BArF4 (2). Neutron data will afford accurate measurement of both Ru...H-C and Ru(eta2-H2)H distances affording structural information crucial to understanding both the stoichiometric and potential catalytic reactivity (e. g. C=C/C=O hydrogenation) of these types of species.