Bloody hell... it’s the rower! OAP’s relief as Cracknell saves his grandson from drowning
A pensioner struggling to save his drowning grandson shouted ‘ Bloody hell – it’s the rower!’ as olympic medallist James Cracknell swam to the rescue, helped by his 11-year-old son.
Emerson Fairclough, seven, was paddling after his family arrived for a holiday on the North Devon coast when he was swept out to sea by a rip tide.
His grandfather, Jim Greatorex, 67, waded in fully-clothed but he also got into difficulties, and the pair were spotted by Cracknell and his son Croyde, who were surfing.
According to Cracknell’s wife, radio personality Beverley Turner, her husband swam to the youngster who pleaded with him: ‘I’m seven – I’m too young to die.’ She later tweeted: ‘Everyone walked away, shaken but fine’ and described her son as ‘quick thinking, kind and brave’.
The drama happened late on Saturday afternoon near the Cracknells’ holiday home in Croyde after lifeguards had gone off duty. The couple named their son after their favourite beach.
The Fairclough family had just arrived from their home in Stratfordupon-Avon, Warwickshire, for a holiday at a local campsite.
Miss Turner, who watched with her daughters, Kiki, six, and Trixie, four, added: ‘Croyde just shouted to James “Dad, dad, there’s a boy drowning” and the lad was going under and was in a bad way at that point.
‘James swam over to the boy while Croyde went to the man and told him to hold on to his board. He helped him get on the board and kicked and dragged him back to the shore with James helping towards the end.
‘They must have been around 70 metres away from the beach – they were quite a way out.’
Emerson’s mother Laura, 43, was also on the beach and said Mr Greatorex could not get to Emerson quickly enough.
‘My father was in difficulty himself and he turned to this boy on a surfboard – which turned out to be James Cracknell’s son – and asked him to help,’ she said.
‘The boy called his father who went off swimming to the rescue and in the meantime I made my way into the water – in my clothes – to try to get to Emerson as well.
‘I reached him at the same time as James Cracknell.
‘James had hold of Emerson and swam back with him in his arms and I swam back alongside them. James made sure we could both touch the bottom and then went back to get my dad who had been pulled on to a surfboard by his son.’
Mrs Fairclough, still shaking from the near-miss, added: ‘The current was really strong and if they hadn’t been there it could have been a far worse outcome.
‘We are all very shaken up but safe and sound, thankfully. It’s not worth thinking about what could have happened. We are counting our blessings.’
Both the coastguards and the local rescue helicopter said they had been notified of an incident involving people in the water but were stood down after being told they had been rescued.
Cracknell won olympic gold in 2000 and 2004 and was awarded an obe in 2004 for his services to sport. He suffered a serious brain injury after being knocked off his bike during an endurance challenge in 2010 but has insisted it would not change his adventurous lifestyle.
Miss Turner said the incident had been ‘terrifying’ and was very proud of how her son reacted in the crisis, before adding: ‘I’m so proud of them both. James is a very strong swimmer and Croyde was very mature.’
Mrs Fairclough said of Croyde: ‘It was wonderful what he did for such a young lad’ and added: ‘I can never thank them both enough.’
‘Counting our blessings’