Baby saved after pram rolls into Lancashire lake
- Published
Laura-Jane Gilderdale, pictured with her daughter Emily and baby Amelia
A baby girl was rescued by coastguards after her pram rolled several feet down a slope into a seafront lake during a family outing in Lancashire.
Mother-of-two Laura-Jane Gilderdale first dived into the water in Fleetwood after her oldest daughter Emily, three, fell in while searching for crabs.
While she was distracted, five-month-old Amelia's pram slipped into the lake behind them and became submerged.
Coastguards came to the rescue after hearing the mother's screams.
Amelia was strapped securely into the pram, meaning Mrs Gilderdale, 31, had to lift it clear of the surface until the lifeguards took over.
In a stroke of luck, coastguard and RNLI staff had been lecturing at a nearby college when they heard the commotion at Fleetwood Boating Lake on Monday evening.
Laura-Jane Gilderdale with daughters Emily and Amelia
Mrs Gilderdale's husband Antony, also 31, of Blackpool, said: "They're my heroes. I hate to think what could have happened if they weren't there.
"My wife has done amazingly well. It was just a bizarre accident.
"First Emily slipped in and Laura dived in after her. But when she turned back to shore Amelia's pram had also rolled in.
"Laura had to dive under the water but couldn't free Amelia as she was strapped in.
"She managed to pull the pram just enough water so she could breathe. That's when the coastguard and RNLI staff jumped in and saved them."
The children's father Antony Gilderdale (centre) with some of the coastguard team
The plumbing firm manager added: "We've had a miracle escape and I'm so relieved they were there."
Emily is thought to have been under the water for 20 seconds while Amelia was submerged for less than a minute.
They were checked over at Blackpool Victoria Hospital and found to be unharmed.
Coastguard John Bradbury (second from left) with his fellow lifesavers
Coastguard John Bradbury said: "We were ironically just doing a lecture on water safety when we heard the mother's screams.
"Thankfully we were able to sprint over and help them."