Hunt for mystery good Samaritan after pensioner's fall while shopping

The family of 82-year-old Michael Ellis do not know the name of the woman who stopped to assist him last Saturday, but would like to trace her so they can thank her.

All they know is that she lives in Wigan and travelled to St Helens town centre to go shopping.

Mr Ellis, who has stage four heart failure, was going to buy Christmas cards when he lost his balance and fell on Hardshaw Street.

His daughter, Liz Smith, learned what had happened when a woman called from her father’s mobile phone at 3.30pm on Saturday.

She said: “This kind lady saw him and went to help him. She picked him up and took him to the nail bar across from the bank. He gave her his mobile phone and asked her to call me.”

The woman said that while Mr Ellis said he was OK and could walk to his car, she did not want to leave him.

Liz was out of the area at the time, so she phoned her sister, Sarah Birdakee, to ask her to meet their father, before calling the woman back and speaking to him.

“He kept saying he was fine. I told him to wait there with the kind lady who was helping him. I was in a bit of a tizz,” she said. “My sister did get there and did thank the lady, but it was only afterwards I realised we didn’t even get her name.”

She now hopes to trace the woman who helped her father so that she can thank her for her efforts.

Liz said: “We are super-grateful. I would love to be able to thank her. In all the stress of it all, I didn’t even think to ask for her number or her name.”

She would like to send her a gift to thank her, perhaps a box of chocolates or bouquet of flowers.

Liz said: “It makes you feel good that somebody took the time to help him. She didn’t just check he was alright and leave him, she refused to go until one of us was there. It was a lovely, kind thing to do.”

Retired teacher Mr Ellis did not need to go to hospital and while he was tired and achy after the fall, he is now recovering.

And the grandfather-of-five and dedicated Saints fan is certainly grateful to the Wiganer who came to his rescue.

Liz said: “My dad is a staunch St Helens rugby league fan and always makes jokes about Wigan. I said he couldn’t believe he was saved by a Wiganer!”

The woman who helped Mr Ellis is asked to contact Liz via Facebook or reporter Gaynor Clarke on [email protected].

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