Thrilled to say a thank you to hero who saved my life
A Kent Messenger appeal to help an elderly man has tracked down a young boy he saved from drowning back in the 1960’s.
Harry Wooding, 90, from Gavin Astor House in Aylesford, launched a bid to see what had became of a fouryear-old lad he rescued from a river 55 years ago. Mr Wooding, and his wife Ruth, had been out on a stroll along the River Medway when he saw a commotion near Teston Bridge.
He jumped into the water and managed to pull out Marcus Wakelin just in the nick of time.
Now Mr Wakelin, 59, has come forward and would like to say thank you to his very own hero.
The company director from Walton-on-Thames in Surrey said: “I don’t remember anything of the day at all. I vaguely remember someone from the newspaper coming over to my house the next day. “I couldn’t believe it when I saw the story in the KM. I was first contacted on Twitter just by a random person who had seen the Kent Messenger article asking if it was me. “I started looking online and I found the article. I was shocked to see it had come to light. It’s really strange suddenly seeing your name on the internet. “I have never been contacted out of the blue on social media so it was quite unnerving at first. I knew immediately it was me. It’s a lovely thing the chap, Harry, who rescued me is alive and recalling the story.” Mr Wakelin had been taken to the park by his teenage uncle, John Clements, and his girlfriend Dawn Cole.
At the time the Kent Messenger Gazette report described the heroics of a mystery saviour [which turned out to be Mr Wooding]. Mr Clements had dived in after his nephew and stunned himself. Mr Wakelin added: “My uncle remembers the day and what happened but he has never been able to remember how we got home.
“He dived into a shallow part of the river and hit his head on the bottom which is why he was incapacitated and couldn’t help me, whether he was concussed or not I don’t know.” When the rescue happened in 1964, Mr Wakelin had been living in Trevor Drive, Allington Park Estate, Maidstone for a year.
His family had moved down from Cheam in Surrey and in 1968 they returned. Since then, Marcus graduated with a degree in material technology from the City of London Polytechinic, set up his own business and married his wife, Maria.
He said: “I did learn to swim with the cubs in the end at about 10-years-old.
“I don’t think anyone from my family had the chance to thank him. I don’t even think he ever met my parents. “I would like to say thank you very much to Harry for saving my life and I would love to meet him.”