A BUILDER who helped rescue a woman and her granddaughter when they got into difficulties in the sea off Clacton has been rewarded for his bravery - nearly three years after the event.

By Sharon Asplin

A BUILDER who helped rescue a woman and her granddaughter when they got into difficulties in the sea off Clacton has been rewarded for his bravery - nearly three years after the event.

Philip Ellison was on the beach with his fiancée and her four children when he heard screams for help.

He immediately raced to the assistance of Ryan Carvey and Jamie Sacre from Tendring District Council's beach patrol team who had gone to the aid of the pair who were floating face down in the water.

Builder Mr Ellison, of Eldred Avenue, Colchester, helped get 10-year-old Nur Kaya - who was semi-conscious - on to the breakwater.

Nur and her grandmother Safiye Eroglu, who were from London, were airlifted by helicopter to Colchester General Hospital where they made a full recovery.

The dramatic incident took place in August 2004 and speaking to the East Anglian Daily Times days afterwards, Mr Ellison said: “It was quite a way out. I could not even touch the sea bottom myself.

“The young girl was frothing at the mouth. I put her on my shoulder and swam backwards with her.”

Both Mr Carvey and Mr Sacre have already received their awards from the Royal Humane Society but it took some time to track down Mr Ellison and arrange a time for him to collect his honour.

Mr Ellison and his family went along to Tendring District Council chairman Robert Taylor's parlour to collect a framed certificate and said he felt it was well worth the wait.

“It is a great honour and this award will take pride of place on the wall at home,” he said.

Mr Taylor thanked Mr Ellison for his heroics on the beach that day and for helping to save the life of a visitor to Tendring.

He had been nominated for the award by the then helmsman of Clacton lifeboat, Robert Bradbrook.

The council's senior seafront warden, Tim Sutton, praised all those involved in the events on the beach by the Palace Breakwater.

“Without the efforts of the council staff and Mr Ellison we would have been looking at the loss of at least one life that day,” he added.

“It took us some time to find Mr Ellison and then sort out a suitable time to make this presentation but we were determined that he should get the recognition he deserved.”

sharon.asplin@eadt.co.uk