Elderly man praises heroes after dramatic rescue
Published: June 20, 2005
An elderly man who was pulled from his car moments before it sank under torrential flood water has called the men who saved him “priceless”.
The unknown rescuers pulled Gordon Nelson, 77, and his wife Myra, 76, to safety just before their car sank under torrential flood water in Newcastle.
One man plunged into the water and heaved the car above the surface while two others dragged the pair to safety.
It is thought that the rescuers were drinking in a nearby pub.
Mr Nelson said: “I was very concerned for my wife and it’s a nasty feeling to know you’re physically limited.
“Fortunately the lads pulled us both out and took us into the pub. They were all wonderful.
“One of the lads even went back to get the car keys, which were still in the ignition. He dived down under the water and got them straight away.
“I can’t thank them enough. They were absolutely priceless.”
Sunday’s dramatic rescue happened after deep water collected at the foot of a steep hill in Walkergate.
One of the men stripped to the waist and waded into almost five feet of flood water which had collected on the road under a bridge.
He struggled to prop the rear of the Nissan Micra on his shoulders as the other men joined in the rescue.
Seconds later one man managed to make his way to the passenger door and carried Mrs Gordon to safety. He was then joined by another man, who rescued Mr Gordon.
The burly rescuer, who had hoisted the car above the water, then let the vehicle drop - only to see it sink into the water within seconds.
Walkergate resident Garry Alexander, who filmed the rescue with his camcorder, said: “Everyone thought someone was just messing about in the river with an abandoned car. No-one realised there was anyone in it.
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Sony DCR-DVD92 DVD Handycam Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom“Then it dawned on us that the lad was holding the car out of the water, and we were all surprised to see two more lads drag the elderly couple out.
“I only had the camcorder because I was filming my neighbour’s search for his goldfish, which had escaped from his garden pond. It was all pretty amazing.”
According to Ted Laughlin, landlord of the nearby Railway Inn, the rescuers were drinking in his pub.
He said: “The couple came in here afterwards for a cup of tea and a whisky.
“The man thought he might have been able to get through the water in his car, but when he got up to the edge, he tried to get it in reverse and the car stalled.
“The couple have telephoned here this morning to thank the people who helped them.”
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