Strangers rush to aid canal-fall pensioner in Newport

Lucy Murray, from Edgmond, near Newport, fractured her arm and suffered cuts and bruises to her head after falling into the canal on Sunday morning.

The pensioner, who was with her husband Gordon, slipped as she stood waiting on the small crossing opposite the Cosy Hall on Water Lane.

Mr Murray, 85, said: "Lucy was covered in blood. It was pumping down her neck and both arms and she was in a lot of pain.

"A man of about 30 was walking two dogs and he jumped straight into the muck with me.

"He was absolutely brilliant and helped me move her out of the canal. How we did it I'll never know.

"Two young boys then called for an ambulance. There was these two boys, another two and a girl called Lucy who helped speak to the emergency services.

They were all only young, maybe teenagers maybe younger, but they all did their bit. It was so surprising how helpful they all were. They were all people we didn't know."

Mr Murray said: "My Lucy is now on the mend so I'd like to say a big thank you to all of them. We feel very lucky they were all nearby."

He added: "It all happened at around 10.55am on Sunday. My wife got out of the car and made her way to the crossing while I locked up and collected some bread for the birds.

"She has two walking sticks so I looked around to see if she was OK but she'd gone. She was in the canal. She had spotted some swans, turned around suddenly and slipped. She fell straight into the water."

Mrs Murray fractured her arm and had cuts and bruises on her face. She was released from hospital after treatment.

Mr Murray said he would not have been able to help her without the support of the passersby.