Home People Accidents Smart Rescue at Mexborough – Denaby Girl Saved From Canal

Smart Rescue at Mexborough – Denaby Girl Saved From Canal

July 1947

South Yorkshire Times July 5, 1947

Smart Rescue at Mexborough

Denaby Girl Saved From Canal

Stanley Bucknell (32) of “Fair View,” Doncaster Road, Mexborough, showed considerable presence of mind in rescuing Dora Cookson bracket (16) of 33, Doncaster Road, Denaby, from drowning in the canal at Mexborough on Sunday night.

Mr Bucknell told a “South Yorkshire Times” reporter that on Sunday night about 7.15 he went out walking with his wife and daughter on the canal bank, near the Toll Bar Bridge, Mexborough, he heard someone shouting “there’s something in the water.”

Looking round Mr Bucknell saw, at a distance  of about 50 yards along the canal bank, two or three persons pointing into the water. Without hesitation he ran towards the place and was just in time to see an arm disappearing under the water. He dived fully clothed into the water and locating the body of a girl, grasped her under the armpits and managed to swim with her to the canal bank, where she was pulled, out of the water.

The girl was still conscious but was very distressed. She was taken to Montagu Hospital. She was Miss Dora Cookson, of Denaby.

Mr. Bucknell is employed at Denaby Main Co-operative Society.

Miss Cookson was still detained in hospital yesterday.