Quick-thinking teenager is hero of dock rescue

Nov 10 2010 by Laura Jones, Heswall News

A FORMER ambulance man who helped to save a drowning man from a Wirral dock says his 15-year-old nephew is the true hero.

Tom Hawkes, a pupil at Wirral Grammar, and his uncle Steve Smith rescued the man from the docks at 12 Quays in Birkenhead.

Proud Mr Smith told the News: “His sharp eyes spotted a man in the dock where a rescuer had been struggling for 10 minutes on his own trying to pull him out.

“None of the passing motorists had seen the drama and both the rescuer and the victim were close to exhaustion when fortunately Tom spotted them.”

Thanks to the eagle-eyed teenager Mr Smith, who was on his way to work at 8am on Saturday October 30, turned his car around and drove back to the water’s edge where a man who had toppled into the water was hanging onto the arms of another passer-by who had come to his aid.

“We were driving over the bridge when Tom said something was in the water by the docks,” Mr Smith said.

“I kept driving, it hadn’t really registered, but then Tom said it again, so I turned the car around and we saw these guys struggling.

“From what I understand, he had been staggering about the dock, walking along the edge of the water when he just fell in.

“The other guy must have seen this and run over.”

It was clear they needed help.

Mr Smith added: “[The other rescuer] didn’t go in the water, he was on the side hanging his arms down there, but there was no way for him to get out.

“He had gone down to the side and got hold of the victim and they were getting more and more desperate.

“What they needed was another pair of hands.

“The guy reckoned that he had been there for about 10 minutes, he was absolutely exhausted.

“I thought in another three or four minutes it might well have ended in a tragedy.”

Mr Smith helped drag the man from the water, while quick-witted Tom grabbed a roll of carpet from the boot to keep the casualty warm until the ambulance arrived.

He added: “I am positive that Tom’s intervention saved a life. A great feeling for a 15-year-old.”

A spokesperson for Merseyside fire service said: “We were called at 7.50am but we were not required because a male had been rescued by a member of the public.”