Sisters save woman’s life on live Merseyrail line - 22nd Jan 2010 12:24pm
Schoolgirl sisters save woman’s life on live Merseyrail line
COURAGEOUS sisters Lorna and Emily Richardson walked out into the path of an oncoming train to save a woman’s life.
The 39-year-old woman is thought to have jumped from the Ainsdale railway bridge at rush hour last Friday morning (January 15).
Lorna, 11, and Emily 12, spotted the woman’s body lying on the tracks as they made their way to the train station.
The girls, who are both pupils at Formby High School, comforted the woman as they waited for help to arrive.
Lorna, who is partially deaf, called the emergency services from her mobile.
Emily, 12, a former Shoreside Primary School pupil, said: “When I saw her I felt pretty upset and thought it would be pretty mean just to leave her there.
“I knew it was dangerous because she was on the train tracks and she’d broken her leg and two arms and she couldn’t move.
“We got the ambulance involved because she was crying.
“We told her to get back, but she couldn’t move.
“Lorna told me we must phone the police and ambulance and get her rushed to hospital.
“I was panicking about quite a lot.”
Their mum, Sarah, said she was very proud of her daughters' courage..
Speaking at the family home in Easedale Drive, Ainsdale, she said: “The girls were on their way to school by getting the train to Formby High; they were getting on at Ainsdale.
“Emily and Lorna saw the woman lying on the track. They proceeded to help the woman and an old man ran to the station to try to stop the train causing anymore damage.”
Stepdad Joe Norris, a windscreen fitter, said: “They had an inclination what the dangers are with the electricity but their main concern was for the woman on the track. Lorna, 11, had her mobile with her and she dialled 999 – she’s partially deaf.
“Lorna and Emily comforted her for a while and kept her talking and then they were then told to go home.”
When the girls turned up at the house unexpectedly their parents weren’t expecting to hear they’d been out saving lives.
“They came back home and we thought they’d forgotten their homework or something – kids are always forgetting things,” said Joe.
“But then they told us and we said ‘well done’. We were really extremely proud of them.
“For them to put themselves at risk and put somebody else first is really extraordinary, especially as they knew the train was due because they catch it and they know the dangers and yet they went to help her out.”
Looking back on the incident Joe and Sarah can’t help worrying about what might have happened.
Joe said: “The sudden realisation that they were great and ran on to save her – but what if they’d been electrocuted?
“We could have lost both of them in their efforts to save somebody else.
"I’ve said to them you mustn’t run on to the railway lines and they were well aware of the power that runs through there.
“Lorna being partially deaf, she wouldn’t have been able to hear a train coming. They were the eyes and ears for each other.”
Formby High Deputy Head Paul McParlan also paid tribute to their bravery.
He said: “There’s a lot of negative publicity about young people these days, so it’s really reassuring to see that there are some young people who are able to act and assist other people.
“They are a credit to themselves, their family and their school.
And the experience has given Emily some career ideas.
She said: “I want to be a police officer when I grow up because I like saving people’s lives.”
It’s no surprise to stepdad Joe, who said: “The girls are very caring. They were the first to offer help to one of our elderly neighbours when the snow came.”
The 39-year-old local woman suffered a broken leg, broken arms and head and back injuries in the fall. She has undergone surgery and remains in hospital in a stable condition.
THE ECHO
COURAGEOUS sisters Lorna and Emily Richardson walked out into the path of an oncoming train to save a woman’s life.
The 39-year-old woman is thought to have jumped from the Ainsdale railway bridge at rush hour last Friday morning (January 15).
Lorna, 11, and Emily 12, spotted the woman’s body lying on the tracks as they made their way to the train station.
The girls, who are both pupils at Formby High School, comforted the woman as they waited for help to arrive.
Lorna, who is partially deaf, called the emergency services from her mobile.
Emily, 12, a former Shoreside Primary School pupil, said: “When I saw her I felt pretty upset and thought it would be pretty mean just to leave her there.
“I knew it was dangerous because she was on the train tracks and she’d broken her leg and two arms and she couldn’t move.
“We got the ambulance involved because she was crying.
“We told her to get back, but she couldn’t move.
“Lorna told me we must phone the police and ambulance and get her rushed to hospital.
“I was panicking about quite a lot.”
Their mum, Sarah, said she was very proud of her daughters' courage..
Speaking at the family home in Easedale Drive, Ainsdale, she said: “The girls were on their way to school by getting the train to Formby High; they were getting on at Ainsdale.
“Emily and Lorna saw the woman lying on the track. They proceeded to help the woman and an old man ran to the station to try to stop the train causing anymore damage.”
Stepdad Joe Norris, a windscreen fitter, said: “They had an inclination what the dangers are with the electricity but their main concern was for the woman on the track. Lorna, 11, had her mobile with her and she dialled 999 – she’s partially deaf.
“Lorna and Emily comforted her for a while and kept her talking and then they were then told to go home.”
When the girls turned up at the house unexpectedly their parents weren’t expecting to hear they’d been out saving lives.
“They came back home and we thought they’d forgotten their homework or something – kids are always forgetting things,” said Joe.
“But then they told us and we said ‘well done’. We were really extremely proud of them.
“For them to put themselves at risk and put somebody else first is really extraordinary, especially as they knew the train was due because they catch it and they know the dangers and yet they went to help her out.”
Looking back on the incident Joe and Sarah can’t help worrying about what might have happened.
Joe said: “The sudden realisation that they were great and ran on to save her – but what if they’d been electrocuted?
“We could have lost both of them in their efforts to save somebody else.
"I’ve said to them you mustn’t run on to the railway lines and they were well aware of the power that runs through there.
“Lorna being partially deaf, she wouldn’t have been able to hear a train coming. They were the eyes and ears for each other.”
Formby High Deputy Head Paul McParlan also paid tribute to their bravery.
He said: “There’s a lot of negative publicity about young people these days, so it’s really reassuring to see that there are some young people who are able to act and assist other people.
“They are a credit to themselves, their family and their school.
And the experience has given Emily some career ideas.
She said: “I want to be a police officer when I grow up because I like saving people’s lives.”
It’s no surprise to stepdad Joe, who said: “The girls are very caring. They were the first to offer help to one of our elderly neighbours when the snow came.”
The 39-year-old local woman suffered a broken leg, broken arms and head and back injuries in the fall. She has undergone surgery and remains in hospital in a stable condition.
THE ECHO
