A WOMAN who waited 63 years to thank the man who saved her from drowning in an icy canal finally met up with her rescuer and said: "You're my hero."

Edna Skellern was hauled to safety by John Walsh after he heard her scream as she fell into a canal near Hermitage Street, Rishton, in June 1937.

Although both Edna, who is now 70 and lives in Maden Street, Church, and John, now 87 and living in Ash Lane, Great Harwood, have often wondered what happened to each other, they have never made contact since that fateful day 63 years ago.

Last month, the Great Harwood area council, a new body under the umbrella of Hyndburn Council, launched an appeal through the Lancashire Evening Telegraph to find John so he could be honoured for his heroic actions.

Both John and Edna contacted the Evening Telegraph and the pair have now met for the first time in 63 years, walking down the same stip of the Leeds and Liverpool canal where they met briefly all those years ago.

John, whose only reward at the time was losing an hour and a half's pay because he had to go home and get changed into dry clothes, said: "I have often wondered what happened to Edna but I never saw her again.

"At the time, jumping in the canal was the natural thing to do. I am sure anybody would do it, even though I thought I was jumping in to save a drowning dog. "If I get this honour, I will be very proud because it is something I have never thought I would get."

John initially jumped into the water but couldn't find Edna. He was about to return to the surface but he felt something touch his leg. It was Edna and he pulled her to the edge of the canal before carrying on to work as if nothing had happened.

Edna, whose names was Edna Cross in 1937, is now widowed but has two children and two grandchildren.

She said: "If John hadn't been where he was at the time, I probably wouldn't have lived to have children or grandchildren.

"My mother always told me not to play near the canal so obviously I went and played there straight away.

"I slipped in and was sinking. I was in so much trouble when I got home."

Although the incident was reported in the Northern Daily Telegraph, the Lancashire Evening Telegraph's forerunner, Edna has never met up with John -- until now. She said: "I am so glad I have got to meet him. He is a hero and deserves this award."

Coun Peter Clarke, who launched the hunt for John, said: "At our area council, we want to recognise all our heroes past and present, and John is certainly one of them!"