Thanks for saving baby in canal, boys
A GROUP of hero schoolboys have received police bravery awards for rescuing a mum and baby from a freezing canal.
The lads, aged 10 to 15, sprang into action after Lifei Wang and her two little daughters were ambushed by aggressive swans.
Lifei, 39, had taken four-year-old Reya and five-month-old Eva to feed bread to the birds at St Helens Canal in Widnes, Cheshire.
But the swans turned nasty and chased the family, tipping Eva’s pram into the icy water and making Lifei plunge in after it.
Reya then ran to raise the alarm and bring back seven boys who were playing football nearby.
They pulled the mum and pram from the canal, rang 999 and kept the family warm with their coats.
Now the lads, all pupils at Saints Peter & Paul Catholic College in Widnes, have been given the Chief Inspector’s Commendation “for bravery and community spirit”.
Chief Insp Catherine Pritchard said: “The quick thinking of the boys impressed everyone. They helped to prevent this incident from becoming far more serious.”
Six of the boys – Ethan Melvin, Joe Draycott and Campbell Law, all 14, Ellis Hulme, 12, McCauley Maguire, 11 and Jacob Potter, 10 – met Lifei and her girls at the presentation. The seventh lad, 15-year-old Tyler Moses, receive his award later on.
Describing the incident on December 7 at Spike Island nature reserve, Lifei said: “We were going to feed the swans but they were really hungry and started chasing after Reya.
“I was scared they would bite her. Another two were trying to get the bread under the pram and knocked it in the canal.”
Ethan’s mother Susan said: “How amazing the little girl was clever enough to seek help and thankfully our boys were there. They all deserve a medal.” will