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Hero hiker helps stricken boy
A Chorley hiker has been hailed a hero after helping rescue a boy who fell into a reservoir culvert.
James Tumelty, 58, was out hiking with friends when 11-year-old Callum Evans slipped on the ice and plunged 10ft into a freezing cold culvert at Walverden Reservoir in Nelson.
When the boy's friend called for help, Mr Tumelty ran to his aid and climbed into the culvert.
He held out his hiking stick for the boy to grab and dragged him to a shallow part of the culvert where they waited for help.
"It wasn't deep, but he'd landed on his back and he must have been there for 10 minutes and the water was freezing," he recalled.
"I think he was in shock more than anything, but he couldn't walk to me as he'd hurt his back."
The boy, who had been reaching for a coin he had dropped when he fell, was taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital suffering from mild hypothermia, but was released following checks.
Mr Tumelty added: "The boy was really distressed, but he was so polite and kept saying sorry to us all the way through. It's just a good job we got there when we did."
Water rescue-trained Nelson firefighters and paramedics used a long board and an inflatable dinghy to bring the boy to safety.
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Weather for Chorley
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North east
