The usual crop of “drowning” rescues from the canal at Sandiacre continue this summer in alarming manner to add to the grey hairs and fears of mothers when their children are out playing, but, fortunately, all the youngsters who have experienced the awful moment of falling in have been snatched back in time up to the present. I say up to the present, for children will play by the canal—it draws them like a magnet—and a tragedy seems almost certain sometime or other, because there will not always be some courageous gentleman at hand to bring off a rescue.

Latest youngster to be snatched from “the jaws of the Reaper” is Betty Nicol, four years old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. Nicol, of 30, West-avenue, Sandiacre, who, but for the prompt action of P.c. Harry Vickers, of Stanton, would surely have been drowned on Saturday. Apparently she wandered from home with another playmate and was playing on the tow-path near the canal bridge when she fell in . . . . . .

Hearing a woman screaming “There’s a child in the water,” Constable Vickers, who was on traffic duty on the bridge, ran down to the side of the canal and jumped in, managing to get the youngster out. Artificial respiration was successful, but that was a very near thing was clearly evident by the child’s condition.

Transferred to the care of Mrs. Newbold, the ever-ready Samaritan’s and a hot bath at the police station soon put the lucky little girl right again, although I hear she had a restless night, somewhat naturally. The mother was in complete ignorance of the incident, and Betty was not claimed until about an hour afterwards. It does behove parents to be continually impressing upon their young offspring the dangers of playing by the canal and warning them of the consequences, for children, being children, always seem to pick the worst spots to play in. To Constable Vickers—well done, sir!

📚 Sources

• Type: newspaper
  Title: Stapleford and Sandiacre News
  Date: 1938-07-16