Two "caring" strangers have been praised for climbing into a pond to help a struggling young swan reunite with its family.
Yesterday morning, at around 9am, grandad Mike Melia from St Helens, was walking near what is known as Blackbrook Flash, when he noticed three cygnets attempting to overcome the overflow and continue to the next pond.
Later that day, Mike's wife and granddaughter returned to the area for a walk and noticed that the youngest swan was still there and struggling to escape.
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The window cleaner said the family returned around 3pm that day and he brought a ladder to try and help, but two strangers decided to get into the water to help the swan themselves.
Mike, 52, told the ECHO: "The young swan was there in the little pond and in the morning the mother and father were there, there were three cygnets.
"They were a bit distressed and couldn't get it out to where the other pond is.
"My wife had been around in the morning taking the baby in the pram and said it’s still there.
"I'm a window cleaner so I took a ladder around to see if I could get it out. I saw this young lad, the one without a hat on, I think he was going fishing.
"I said don't you fancy going in there to help that swan. I was only joking really then he took his pants off and got in.
"The other lad was cycling going passed on his bike. I think he said he saw something on Facebook and came down. I think he's into bird watching and had watched them grow since they hatched, so he just got in to help the other lad."
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Mike said the water was up to the waists of the two men, who tried to use the ladder to help free the swan.
He said at the time he went to the nearby rangers hut which was shut and struggled to get through to any on the phone.
Photographs shared with the ECHO show one of the men carefully picking up the swan and the pair later releasing it from the overflow barrier.
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Mike said: ""I just thought it was brilliant what they did.
"My wife and my granddaughter, she’s only 11 months, were watching and we were all made up.
"They’re two strangers who don't know each other and they got out and shook hands at the end."
Mike said he didn't catch the name of the two young men who rescued the swan, so took to a local Facebook group to share the gesture.
His post reads: "Well done to these two lads today, rescuing the baby swan trapped in the overflow at Blackbrook Flash.
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"It had been there all day. I didn't manage to get their names, well done lads."
One person commented: "You are two amazing young men, this world needs more people like you. That young swan would have tired itself out trying to get to its family, and I dread to think of the consequences. I hope you get rewarded for your efforts."
Another said: "Wish we had more lovely people like this to help our beautiful wild life! Thank you for being caring young men."
One person posted: "That's fantastic well done lads xx."
And another commented :"Aww well done hope he managed to catch up with his family thank you for being so caring x."
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