A new mobile phone lost during a dramatic beach rescue in Gwynedd has been reunited with its owner six months after he saved a woman’s life. Yorkshireman Rob Tatton had written off ever finding his iPhone and said its discovery after so long was “nuts”.
Llanbedrog resident Susan Pritchard arranged its return after becoming forever indebted to Rob. In January he waded into the sea to rescue her 76-year-old mother when she became trapped on a beach on the Llŷn Peninsula.
Her mum was walking from Llanbedrog beach around Mynydd Tir y Cwmwd headland to Quarry beach when she became stranded as the tide came in. “She ended up scrabbling on the rocks, slipping and falling over a few times,” said Susan.
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“There was only one other gentleman on the beach walking his dog. He noticed my mum having difficulties and went to her rescue, wading waist deep in the freezing sea to get to Quarry beach.”
During the rescue, Rob didn’t notice his brand new phone falling from his pocket. Earlier, he had dropped off his daughter at Aberystwyth University and was returning home to Yorkshire via Llanbedrog because he had fond childhood memories of the area.
Heading back to his car, on a route regarded as perhaps the most scenic in Wales, he was walking in the opposite direction to Susan’s mum. In all likelihood, she may have perished without his quick-thinking intervention. “Honestly, if he hadn’t been walking that day, my mum could have been washed out to sea as the tide was coming in that quick,” said Susan.
Shrugging off his heroic actions, and still soaking wet, Rob drove three hours back to his home in Hebden Bridge, minus his iPhone. “I’d pretty much written off finding it within 30 seconds of realising it was gone,” he said.
On July 13, Antonia Gould and her three children were exploring the coast between Llanbedrog and Abersoch when her son Benjamin came across an iPhone washed up on rocks.
They took it home, tried charging it and, incredibly, managed to switch it on. The phone displayed a screensaver with a photo of an old jet fighter and a time of 6.35pm, January 31.
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When Antonia shared an image on Facebook, it struck a chord with Susan, who made contact and arranged for Rob to pick it up. Three days later he travelled down from Hebden Bridge to collect his phone.
Arriving back home at 1am, he popped in his passcode and found it still worked. “It stopped later but I reckon that was the block we put on it kicking in,” he said. “It’s definitely nuts and a right result though! Thank you Susan, Antonia and your family."
After a trip to A&E, Susan’s mother was found to be bruised but otherwise unharmed. When Susan shared the story online, it brought a warm glow to people who like happy endings.
“Fabulous, there are good people around after all,” said one person. “What a lovely end to a remarkable deed of kindness,” said another.
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