A mum has told how she got lost in woods for two hours with her eight year-old son when a fun day out to the beach turned into an 'absolute nightmare'. Leanne Pate, 41, said she was about to have a panic attack before a kind-hearted stranger called Elaine stepped in and saved the day for them.
Leanne, from Wigan, went for a Bank Holiday Monday trip to the Formby coastline in Merseyside with her young son, Theo. She told how they had a kickabout together with a football before venturing into woods nearby.
But Leanne was unfamiliar with the terrain and area and told how they quickly became lost.
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She said she started asking people they saw for directions, but that left her even more confused.
After walking around for two hours without a mobile phone signal or water, Leanne stumbled upon a woman who realising how upset she was, helped her back to the car park where she had parked up earlier in the day, reports The Echo.
Leanne said: "After about five minutes in the woods I said to my son that we should turn back but we came out of the woods and I did not recognise it at all. I asked someone where the main car park was and when I got there, it was not the place I had parked.
"I kept asking people but it was turning into an absolute nightmare. I was going further and further into the woods, the trees were getting higher. I had no reception on my phone or water. I must have asked about 15 different people."
The problem for Leanne was that she given directions to the Lifeboat Road car park, but she had parked in the National Trust Car Park. She said she was close to having a panic attack and 'hiding tears' from her son when she met the woman, known only as Elaine.
Leanne said: "I was shaking with panic. I was lost and just did not know how I was going to get back. I stopped Elaine and she could see I was in tears. She just said she would walk me back.
"It took about 40 minutes but she walked us all the way back to the car park and if I had not found her I don't know what I would have done. I was grateful and she said she would not have been able to sleep if she had not helped me.
"I just hope she sees this and I want to say give her a massive thank you.
"I hope she knows how grateful I am and what an amazing person she is."
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