A 91-YEAR-old Bere Alston resident whose daily exercise in lockdown almost ended in tragedy has praised the people who saved his life, writes Alison Stephenson.

John Noyes’ nature walk took a dramatic turn when he nearly fell into the River Tavy at a local beauty spot and he is convinced it’s down to the quick thinking of a nearby walker who saw the events unfold and others, including paramedics, that he is here today,

Mr Noyes, who takes a walk along lanes and footpaths around Bere Alston almost every day to keep fit during the lockdown, had been walking along the River Tavy on May 12 near Denham Bridge when he got into trouble.

He told the Times: ‘I decided that because the sun was shining I would drive to Denham Bridge and walk the footpath through the woods alongside the River Tavy and take photos for my 2021 calendar which I produce every year for my friends and relatives.

‘The progress was slow, taking photos and time slipped by and I began to feel tired, almost exhausted, so I turned around to retrace my steps.

‘My walking was slow and difficult and when I got to a particularly difficult bit of the path I slipped and fell onto a narrow ledge adjacent to the river and only avoided going into the water because a man who had been following me jumped down and saved me.’

My Noyes said he had injured his left leg in the incident and the man dragged him back onto the path and supported him with help from a lady also present. They took him very slowly back up the steep path to the car park.

In the meantime, the police had been called by Mr Noyes’ wife who was concerned when he didn’t return within a couple of hours and there had been no phone call from him. They in turn called the ambulance who arrived with a patient trolley and transported him the remainder of the way up the hill.

‘They checked me over and it seemed that apart from bruises I was ok,’ he said. ’My car is an automatic and I could use my right leg fine so they decided I was ok to drive my car home and I had a police escort.

‘My wife was so pleased to see me, she thought there had been a catastrophe and there so nearly was. What started off as a pleasant walk went so terribly wrong — it was an expedition I never should have done.

‘I certainly won’t be doing that again. I’m a keen photographer and always go that little bit further to get a good picture. I realise now that at 91 I can’t always do that. It’s a bit of a wake up call.

‘I would really like to properly thank the people who helped me that day. I’m so very lucky someone stopped me falling into the River Tavy which is fast flowing and has deep sections. With the injury to my leg and how exhausted I felt, I might not have got out.

‘I had no reception on my phone either down there. I’ll stick to lanes around my home from now on.’

If you helped Mr Noyes that day please contact the Times on 01822 615180 and we will put you in touch with him.