Northern Ireland

Irish woman speaks for the first time to man who saved her mother from drowning in 1953

John Eldred relived the rescue. Picture by RTÉ
John Eldred relived the rescue. Picture by RTÉ John Eldred relived the rescue. Picture by RTÉ

AN Irish woman has spoke for the first time to a man who saved her mother from drowning in Co Wexford more than 60 years ago.

Mary Thompstone said she wanted to tell John Eldred "how much we appreciate you and what you did" for her mother Anastasia after she got into difficulty while swimming near Clonevanin in August 1953.

Appearing on RTÉ's Live Line radio show on Friday, she had appealed for help in tracking down Mr Eldred after looking for him unsuccessfully for more than 50 years.

And yesterday, to Ms Thompstone's surprise, Mr Eldred contacted the show and they spoke for the first time.

"You saved my mother and that is the most important thing," she said.

"Over the years, my mother would have remembered you all the time and prayed for you. She wanted to see you before she died, but we couldn't find you.

"But you gave life, she went on to have five children, she worked for Concern, we lived in Africa before we came back to Tipperary.

"She was a very religious person, she went to Mass every day.

"I wanted to shake your hand and tell you how much we appreciate you and what you did."

She added that Mr Eldred was a "brave, brave man".

Reliving the day of the rescue, Mr Eldred - now aged 84 and living in Wiltshire - said, "I remember it like yesterday". He told of how he had been on holiday with his parents when they were alerted to a woman in difficulty.

"We were sitting in my parents bedroom having a chat when there was quite a commotion outside, there was a girl who was very distressed and she was shouting for help, saying that her sister was drowning," he said.

"She was very distressed, so my father said quick, run down to the beach and see what you can do.

"I was 17, I was fit, I ran like mad down to the beach and there was just three chaps, I think they might have been local farmers.

"I looked out to sea and I could see about 300 yards out to sea, she was throwing up her arms and shouting.

"These lads said, 'can you swim' and I said yes, 'can you save her', I said yes."

Mr Eldred said he "swam like mad" to reach the woman in distress.

"I could swim quite well as I was brought up in Australia and I learnt to swim when I was young," he said.

"I got to her and she was cool, calm and collected. I had to turn around so she had her back facing me so I could swim on my back.

"She was very nice, she kept on saying are you alright, are you drowning, if you are drowning, leave me, save yourself. She used her arms as paddles so we got along quite quickly."

Mr Eldred, who was told of the appeal by a friend who had heard Ms Thompstone's radio interview, said he felt "honoured" to carry out the rescue.

"I was in the right place and it all worked. I didn't hesitate, why would I," he said.