Boy, 16, dives in freezing canal to save 7-week-old baby from drowning after hearing mum scream as pram rolled off path
A HERO teen has told of the moment he dived into a freezing canal to save a newborn baby from drowning. George Hibberd, 16, yelled “your baby” as a seven-week-old in a pram rolled into the water in front of their horrified mum. The teen and his pal were walking along Hythe Canal in Kent […]
A HERO teen has told of the moment he dived into a freezing canal to save a newborn baby from drowning.
George Hibberd, 16, yelled “your baby” as a seven-week-old in a pram rolled into the water in front of their horrified mum.
The teen and his pal were walking along Hythe Canal in Kent on Saturday.
A mum had knelt down to strap her dog’s lead when the pram rolled straight into the canal.
George, who has just started a bricklaying course, said swimming in the canal was his “worst nightmare” but he overcame his fear to save the baby.
He said: “There was a dip in the pavement which I think caused the pram to roll off because the ground looked straight.
“In just a few seconds the baby ended up going into the water.
“Me and my friend screamed to the mum ‘Your baby!’ and she was screaming asking us to help get her child.
“The pram was slightly floating above the water and the baby was still lying inside.
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“I got to it just in time before it sank any deeper. If I got there later it would have definitely sunk even more.
He added: “The canal was my worst nightmare, I can’t stand moss, algae, and fish, and rats. The water was freezing cold.
“But I had so much adrenaline I didn’t even think about it. I took off my clothes and dived straight in.
“I had to swim a little bit in the middle of the canal. It was really dark and I couldn’t see much.”
George carried the pram in his right arm while using his left arm to paddle back to dry land and gave the baby back to the mum.
He offered to get the mum a taxi home for the baby but she said she lived nearby and they parted ways.
He said: “I hope the baby is ok. It’s hard because we don’t know what the outcome was, we don’t know the baby was checked or what happened next.”
The teen’s mum said she was so proud of her son.
Nathalie said: “Obviously I’m really proud but also you just think what could have happened, he couldn’t even see and obviously he was under the pram trying to lift the pram above the water.
“It’s absolutely unbelievable really, I still can’t believe it.
“He is very modest and hates the fuss so this is his worst nightmare.
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“He came home, had a bath and went back out.
“I do think he deserves some recognition because it is absolutely unbelievable what he has done.”
It is not known if the baby survived and neither Kent Police or South East Coast Ambulance Service has any record or attending the incident.
