Teens who rescued man kicked into Mersey in line for award

Haydock High student Khloe Woods and her friend Ellie Hughes formed a human chain in order to save the assault victim after he was callously fly-kicked into the fast-flowing river in Howley during a shocking incident back in April this year.

Now the pair have been shortlisted in the Young Hero category of the Amplifon Awards for Brave Britons 2021.

Ellie said: “When we saw the man in the water holding onto a branch, we just immediately started to help him out.

“It was very scary.

“All the time I had hold of Khloe I was saying ‘please don’t fall’.

“We didn’t really think about what we were doing that day, but the man could have been family and you would do the same for them if they were ever in trouble.”

Haydock pupil Khloe added: “Ellie had hold of me and I reached out and grabbed the man.

“I was worried that when he let go of the branch I might lose my grip and he would have gone down the river.”

The winners will be announced during a virtual ceremony next Tuesday, October 5.

BBC presenter Rachel Burden will host the awards, with Falklands war veteran Simon Weston being named as the guest of honour.

Nineteen-year-old Benjamin Bridgeman, of Quebec Road in Orford, was jailed for 10 weeks at Warrington Magistrates Court in June after admitting assault in connection with the appalling incident.

The 74-year-old man was fishing on the banks of the river near Riverside Retail Park, opposite an area known as Monkey Island, when he was subjected to the unprovoked attack.

His assailant then ran off laughing in an incident which was filmed and posted to Snapchat by his friend, a 16-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons.

He received a 12-month youth referral order after pleading guilty to a joint enterprise assault.

The pair received widespread condemnation after news of the attack attracted the attention of national and international media outlets.