Boy rescued from lake after cruel boat prank

Craig Moodie paddling to the stranded boy’s aid on a windsurfing board

A boy had to be rescued from Hollingworth Lake on Thursday night (14 July) after a cruel prank by his friends left him in the middle of the water on a rowing boat with no paddles.

The boy, believed to be about 10, was left screaming for help after his two friends abandoned him after stealing the boats from the visitors centre.

Witnesses report seeing the other two boys run away as the police arrived, shortly before 10.00pm.

Thankfully, Craig Moodie, who was sat in his car, heard the commotion and managed to paddle to the boy’s aid on a windsurfing board.

He told Rochdale Online: “I was with friends at the Lake playing Pokemon Go when a lad came running up saying that someone was stranded in the water. We got up to have a look and it was clear he needed help.

“I jumped the fence and got a windsurfing board out which I used to get up to the boy, picking up the oar on the way. I got in the boat and rowed back.”

Craig’s friend and witness Arron Cheshire said: “The kid was on his own on a boat with the oars in the water. He said his friends left him out there; the lad and his partner that found him said he was crying and screaming to his friends to not leave him, that’s when they went over to see.

“I started to untie some ropes that were around the jetty to throw out to him, however, before I managed to get it untied, Craig jumped over the fence into the boat yard and grabbed a windsurf board, we helped him back over with it and Craig decided to paddle out as he had shorts on; he grabbed an oar out of the water on his way over, jumped on the boat and paddled them both back.

“The police were here by this time and had managed to find the kid's friends who were later picked up by their parents.”

One of the boys was heard at Smithy Bridge train station, boasting that he had run from police and that his friend was stuck on a boat.

A witness at the station at the time, said: “He was only about 12 or 13, stood there proudly smoking and boasting that he’d just abandoned his friend on a boat at the lake. It beggars belief really. They’re hardly his friends are they? He could have drowned.”

Greater Manchester Police confirmed that they were called to the Lake after reports that two rowing boats had been stolen from the visitors centre. A GMP spokesperson said: “A group of youths had taken the boats from the visitors centre and were messing around in the water. A guardian or parent came on the scene and took them home.”