LEWES STUDENTS PULL WOMAN FROM WAVES

The drama happened during a Lewes Old Grammar School trip last week to Scapa Bay in the Orkneys.

Ten students and two teachers were enjoying themselves on the beach when three of them spotted a fully clothed woman wading out to sea.

A man, also fully clothed, was trying without success to stop her.

Said Matthew Artley, 14, from Plumpton: We were reading newspapers and chatting when I looked up and saw this woman, in her 30s, waist-deep in the sea, with an elderly man trying to pull her back.

We realised something was seriously wrong.

Fellow student, Rennick Nelson, reacted first, dashing 60ft through the waves and grabbing her by the arm.

Matthew and Chris Emery from Isfield were there seconds later and between them and the elderly man, who turned out to be a taxi driver, the woman was hauled ashore.

She kept saying that Jesus wanted her to do it, added Matthew. She struggled but there were too many of us for her to get away.

The woman, who appeared to be English, began to get cold and Matthew gave her two of his T-shirts to wear while they waited for the police and ambulance.

The three boys sat with her and let her talk about her troubles until she began to calm down.

Said history teacher Kit Wood, in charge of the school trip with special needs teacher Julian Senior: The woman was distraught. She said she had been receiving messages to go to Scapa Bay and kill herself. She said she was destitute.

But as she was led to the ambulance, one of the paramedics turned back to us and said she wanted to express her gratitude to our students for saving her life.

Published: 7.6.01 Sussex Newspapers Ltd