Shrewsbury river rescue heroes visit father they saved in terrifying ordeal

Dan Walker was saved from drowning in the River Severn in Shrewsbury by student Will Mowbray, who dived in and helped keep his head above water for at least half an hour.

Now, several weeks after the terrifying ordeal, Dan has met Will and his girlfriend Molly Marr - who also played a vital role in alerting the emergency services and helping co-ordinate the rescue from the riverside.

It was the first time they have been able to meet face to face since the accident due to the intensive nature of Dan's recovery and busy exam schedules.

"It was just an immediate look of joy from the pair of us," said Will. "I could see his face light up and feel mine doing the same. He came out of the entrance and I sped up my walk and just gave him a massive hug. Then he did the same with Molly. I'm thankful to have made such a fantastic friend through such a terrifying experience."

Father-of-one Dan, a chef from Shrewsbury, added: "I couldn't believe they were real. It was really surreal. It's not every day you meet your heroes. We sat down and had lunch and talked about what had happened.

"They are absolutely amazing people, but I knew that already. Just genuinely nice people. I couldn't stop thanking them.

"My mum phoned while they were there so I showed her and just said 'look who it is'. She was just like 'thank you so much for saving my lad'."

It was in the early hours of April 4, as Will was walking Molly home from work, when they heard Dan's cries for help from the English Bridge. The rushed to the riverside and found Dan struggling to keep his head above water.

Will made several attempts to pull Dan from the water, including reaching down while another member of the public held him by his ankles. It wasn't working, so Will dived in and spent at least half an hour in the water, keeping Dan's head above the surface before emergency services arrived.

Dan, Will and Molly met at Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital in Gobowen, where Dan has been receiving specialist treatment for his spinal injuries.

"A lot of the hospital staff knew they were coming in and were asking 'is that them?' said Dan. "It's such a strange thing to see them in front of you and know I'm here right now because of them.

"Apparently I was conscious when the emergency crews arrived at the river but I passed out when they tried to get me out."

Will added: " For Dan his memories of it are quite fractured. I remember it all so I was filling him in."

Dan has been recovering well at the hospital, but has been told it is highly unlikely that he will walk again.

Despite the diagnosis, he is remaining positive and now has his sights set on completing the London Marathon in his wheelchair.

"I'm probably going to be in here for another five or six weeks," he said. "Apparently I'm speeding through the recovery. I've got used to the wheelchair and I've been getting around the hospital in it. I've got to do wheelchair skills. There's a lot more to using a wheelchair than you realise, but I'm adapting."

"Dan is an absolutely amazing, optimistic soul," added Will. "He hasn't stopped smiling. He's really inspirational."

Will and Molly have been given hero's treatment since their lifesaving efforts. Dan paid for them both to enjoy a slap-up meal at the Henry Tudor House, and this weekend Will and Molly will be at Buckingham Palace for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee concert. They were chosen by Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire Anna Turner for doing something "remarkable and really brave".

"We're going to the concert on Saturday," Will said. "There has been hearsay about something else for the Platinum Heroes, but I don't really know what's going on. I just know what time and where we're going to turn up.

"We had a fantastic meal courtesy of Dan and we also had one at Beefy Boys. Dan knows the manager and he wanted to do something for us. Each time we got massive plates of food and champagne or Prosecco. I feel bad accepting it but it's really nice of them."

Dan has a long road to recovery, and Will and Molly still bear the mental scars from the dramatic night. But they were all smiles when they met. Will said: "I'm okay now. I still struggle with some of the effects and memories. I have flashbacks sometimes when I go about my daily business. But I'm choosing to look at the positives. People wouldn't have survived if it hadn't gone down the way it did."

A fresh river safety review is to be carried out in Shrewsbury in the coming weeks, Shropshire Council has confirmed., with findings and recommendations expected to be known later this summer.

He is keen for more safety measures to be brought in along the river, including railings and ladders. "They should have ladders every 50 to 100m," he said. "If there was a ladder it could have saved my legs."