A NEWQUAY woman has thanked two brave brothers and the town's RNLI team for saving her life with a donation of £515 to the lifeboat charity.
Amanda Docherty had been walking her pal's dog, Ollie, on a stormy evening near Little Fistral when the dog slipped into the water and she jumped in after him. The pooch, a 'Sprollie', managed to clamber ashore but Amanda was swept out to sea on Tuesday, October 16.
Fortunately, local surfers Martin and Dave Marney, 41 and 45, were out on a post-dinner stroll with their families on Towan Head and spotted her around 100 metres off the rocks.
The pair stripped down to their underwear and swam out to rescue Amanda, who was struggling with the fierce swell. Coastguards and RNLI teams were quickly on the scene and the trio were picked up by lifeboat.
Amanda decided to hold a music and open mic evening at the town's Beached Lamb Café to say thanks to the pair and raise cash for the RNLI.
She said: "Them being there meant a lot to me and I just wanted to say thank you. I hoped we would raise over £200 but over £500 is amazing."
She handed over the cheque on Sunday and was also joined by Ollie and his owner, Leila Soudah.
The Cornish Guardian reported at the time that Martin and Dave had received a heroes' welcome when they returned to Newquay lifeboat station.
The rescue had been particularly significant for Dave as it happened just yards from where he had hauled a 23-year-old man ashore 13 years ago, but who did not survive.
Amazingly, Dave's wife, Cathy, first noticed Amanda as she bobbed directly below a bench on the headland that bears a plaque in memory of the young man who died.
Dave said: "I was pleased I had done something to help. It was like a payback. It was not that great, what we did. We just swam out and helped her. Anyone would have done it if they could swim.
"It was the lifeboat that saved her. It just goes to show that we need our lifeboats."
But Dave Bulley, from Newquay's coastguard cliff rescue team, said the brothers' actions almost certainly saved Amanda's life.
Mr Bulley said: "What they did that evening was amazing. They really are heroes."
