Hero schoolboy, 11, jumped off pier and rescued toddler after happening to see him floating 30 yards off shore
- Eli Harrison, 11, jumped into the water when he saw a toddler floating in the sea
- His mother Kayleigh said Eli leapt off the pier in Staithes, North Yorkshire
- Toddler was 30 yards offshore after his family turned their backs for a second
A hero schoolboy leapt off a seaside pier into the sea when he saw a toddler floating 30 yards off shore.
Eli Harrison, 11, didn’t hesitate to jump into the water when his family saw the youngster off the coast of Staithes in North Yorkshire.
His mother Kayleigh said Eli was in the water before his father Ian had the chance to take off his bag.
‘We’d gone down to the beach for the day and as we were walking along my husband saw the little boy in the water, but before he’d managed to take his bag off Eli had ran and jumped off the pier into the water,’ said Eli’s mum Kayleigh.
Eli Harrison (pictured), 11, didn’t hesitate to jump into the water when his family saw the youngster off the coast of Staithes, North Yorkshire. Pictured, swimming in a local waterfall
Eli leapt from the pier and made his way round small fishing boats to rescue the child on Friday, August 7.
‘As he swam back he had one arm round his tummy and you could see water coming out the bairn’s mouth, it was bad,’ Kayleigh added.
The toddler, who made his way into the water without his parents noticing, was holding onto a small fishing net.
‘They were packing up, they’d turned their back for just a split second but that’s all it takes,’ said Kayleigh.
Although the toddler had swallowed some water and was floating in the water when the Harrison family spotted him, he made a full recovery.
‘The mother carried him off down the beach but Eli needed to check he was OK,’ said Kayleigh.
To show her gratitude for Eli’s brave act, the toddler’s mother gave him £10.
His mother Kayleigh (pictured with Eli and her husband Ian) said Eli was in the water before her husband, Eli’s father, had the chance to take off his bag
‘He saved his life, it’s mental. He just said he did what anyone else would have done, he doesn’t realise how good it is,’ added Kayleigh.
Kayleigh, who works as a healthcare assistant, is originally from Whiby, but her three children 12-year-old Billy, 11-year-old Eli and nine-year-old Gypsie-Rose have all grown up in Staithes and are used to living by the sea.
Eli in particular is a strong swimmer with no fear of the water, and he has won certificates and awards in the past.
‘Other kids are only used to swimming in a pool, but Eli can tell you about the currents and the tides.’ said Kayleigh.
Eli even has future hopes of volunteering with the lifeboat crew, as other family members have done.