Stevenage teens who saved man from drowning thanked by ambulance service

Gary Sanderson with Shannon and Ellie (Image: Archant)

Ellie Field, 16, Mollie Catlin, 15, and Shannon Scully, also 15, came across a man lying unconscious in a secluded stream. They acted quickly and managed to direct emergency services to the scene, saving his life.

The Comet story which prompted the girls to come forward (Image: Archant)

The Comet ran an appeal to find the then unnamed lifesaving trio, after the ambulance service said they wanted to personally thank the girls.

Ellie’s mum Tracy read that appeal and contacted the Comet.

She said: “When I saw it in the paper, I got all choked up – I was so proud of her.

“My daughter came home and said to me and my other children about it. My son didn’t believe her. She told us what happened, but I thought she was exaggerating.”

The girls, who all attend Barnwell School, were walking in some woodland off Hertford Road, Stevenage, when they found the man, who had just fallen.

Rather than panicking, they dialled 999 promptly to alert the ambulance service, police and firefighters, and directed all to the site.

Ellie told the Comet: “Mollie just said, ‘we need to phone the police’. We directed them – if you know where to go, it’s quite easy to find.”

On the Comet’s appeal, she added: “My friend, who wasn’t there, phoned me, and she said, ‘have you seen page seven in the Comet?’.

“When I saw it, I thought ‘oh my god’. It’s nice (to get the recognition).”

Ellie and Shannon met East of England Ambulance Service spokesman Gary Sanderson last week at the scene so they could be personally thanked. Mollie was on holiday at the time, but all three girls have now received certificates of thanks.

“I wish to thank the Comet newspaper for helping us track down the three teenagers who helped save the man,” said Mr Sanderson.

“It was an absolute pleasure to meet up with them and personally thank them on behalf of the Trust, they thoroughly deserve their commendations, well done.”