Four men saved life of woman in water near pier
FOUR MEN – a passing cyclist and three Yorkshire holidaymakers – have been praised for saving the life of a teenager who was seen walking into the sea at Blackpool.
Daniel Rawden, Oliver Nunn, and Nick Wray, all from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, and John Chapman, of North Shore, Blackpool, threw life rings to the 19-year-old and pulled her to safety from the water behind the Metropole hotel, close to North Pier, in the early hours of Monday morning.
The men have now been hailed for their ‘selfless’ actions – and described as ‘selfless’.
Paul Little, the Coastguard’s station officer for Lytham, Blackpool, and Cleveleys, said: “They were very brave. Between the four of them they have saved her life. It was selfless.”
The teenager, from Blackpool, was well dressed and is believed to have been partying in the resort before heading towards the war memorial at high tide at around 2am.
Mr Chapman, 31, said he was riding home to Claremont Road from a friend’s house in Central Drive when he said he saw her descend the steps after leaving her handbag on the ground nearby.
He said: “A wave hit her and she was just swept straight under. I threw a life ring but my phone battery had died so I couldn’t ring anyone for help.
“There were three lads on the Prom and they came after I shouted for help.
“One rang 999 and the other three came down the seafront.”
Two rescue teams from the Coastguard were sent out, while RNLI volunteers from Blackpool launched in two lifeboats.
The woman was taken to hospital in the early stages of hypothermia by paramedics and police.
She was later released after treatment.