Bravery certificate reprinted for 81-year-old hero

Maureen was just 14 years old when she saved a family friend from drowning in 1957

A woman who saved someone from drowning as a teenager in 1957 has been presented with a copy of the bravery certificate she thought she had lost forever.

Maureen Roose was just 14 years old when she plunged into the water at Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, to save a family friend.

She was commended for her bravery by the Royal Humane Society, which has now re-printed her certificate.

Maureen, who returned to the scene of the rescue with the BBC, said the certificate would take “pride of place” in her front room.

Maureen was staying with a family friend - Olive Bridges - in Thundersley during the Easter holidays in 1957.

During a walk along the seafront, Mrs Bridges got into difficulty as she followed Maureen’s sister towards the water.

“She must have tripped and fell in,” Maureen, originally from Peckham, told the BBC.

“The next thing I knew, I was in the water holding her up to get her to the side, and somebody came along and helped us pull her out.”

“I did it on the spur of the moment, I didn’t even think about it at the time,” recalled Maureen, whose maiden name was Stumbles.

She kept Mrs Bridges afloat for about a minute - despite her being double Maureen’s weight and wearing a woollen coat - before the pair were taken to hospital to be checked over.

Maureen said she plunged into the water "on the spur of the moment"

Maureen returned to school after Easter, telling nobody about the dramatic rescue.

But later that year, a certificate was presented to her from the Royal Humane Society, commending her on her bravery.

A BBC reporter came to her school in Peckham to interview Maureen, something she said was more terrifying than the rescue itself.

Maureen kept the newspaper articles about the rescue, but her bravery certificate was lost when she moved house years later.

Several family members only found out about Maureen’s heroism when she discovered the archive TV interview on Mothers Day on the BBC Rewind website.

“I suppose I should be proud of myself, but I never mentioned it, I kept it quiet,” Maureen said.

Maureen was interviewed after the rescue by BBC reporter Leonard Parkin, who came to her school in Peckham

Maureen was presented with a re-print of her bravery certificate by BBC reporter Stuart Woodward

The BBC has now taken Maureen back to Westcliff where she was surprised to be presented with a copy of her bravery certificate, reproduced by the Royal Humane Society for a small fee.

“I shall treasure that - I can’t thank you enough,” Maureen said as she accepted the certificate.

“I can’t believe that it was 67 years ago, it’s amazing.”