Maidenhead schoolboys are 'heroes' after canoe trip rescue

BBC News

06-07-2025

A group of quick-thinking students have been hailed as "heroes" after saving a man's life while on a school canoeing trip.The six students, from Claires Court School, in Maidenhead, were on a Duke of Edinburgh expedition near Wallingford on 30 June when they heard a call for help from a capsized canoeist.Two members of the group assisted the man, keeping his head above the water, whilst others communicated the situation to nearby support staff.In a statement following the rescue, the school praised the boys for their "courage and quick thinking" and described them as "local heroes".
The "dramatic rescue" unfolded after the group of Year Nine students heard shouts from the canoeist who had drifted "perilously beneath a raised jetty", the school said.James Wragg, head of outdoor education at the independent school, said the boys "immediately rushed to his [the canoeist's] aid" and radioed teaching staff nearby.
'Saved his life'
The school said the two boys first on the scene "demonstrated incredible composure under pressure" as they helped the man cling to the jetty.The also fashioned a makeshift stirrup - allowing him to keep his head above water.Having arrived at the incident, teaching staff supervising the Duke of Edinburgh trip were then able to pull the man from the water and asses his condition.The rescued man revealed he had been stranded in the water for 25 minutes, whilst his foot was trapped under his boat."Luckily, our boys arrived just in time and no doubt saved his life," Mr Wragg said.All the students involved, along with the rest of the participants, successfully completed their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh expedition - which the school said was a "testament to their resilience and the values instilled by the programme".Those involved in the rescue, including four students who made staff aware of the incident and shared details, were all separately given outstanding achievement awards by the school.
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