A GROUP of scouts from Buckland Monachorum earned their 'brownie points' last week, when they rescued a young family stranded by the tide at Lopwell Dam.
The youngsters were on the river in their 14 foot motor boat 'Promise' on bank holiday Monday, as a reward for their performance at the previous day's St George's Day parade.
'It was a beautiful day and because we had time we went to Lopwell Dam,' said assistant scout leader Mark Rogers. 'As we approached there was a group waving at us from the Bere Ferrers side.
"They explained they were stuck and a lady needed to get back to her car on the other bank to feed her young baby.'
With scout leader John Belcher at the helm, son Lewis and daughter Chanelle, Alex and Jessica McCormick and Robert Jones on board for a training exercise, they picked up Rose Clace and her sons 13-year-old John and 12-week-old Paul junior, known as PJ, to ferry them over the river to their car.
Mrs Clace, who lives in Plymouth, said they were stranded by the tide after a picnic in the countryside. She said her baby was getting really hungry and cold, and had started crying.
'It was a great relief for us when they picked us up, especially my boy — when he's hungry, he's really hungry,' she said.
'The boys were so proud saving us, I just wanted to thank them, they were such a blessing — sent from Heaven.'
The rescue took place at about 6.30pm, an hour and a half after high tide. Mrs Clace would have had to wait at least another couple of hours to cross on the causeway.