THE father of a nine-year-old girl who died in a canoe tragedy gave an emotional thanks today to the firefighter who found her lifeless body.
Billie Holiday Clayton was paddling on the River Wye in Mid Wales with her twin brother Edward and their father when their canoe overturned on April 12, 2006.
Ian Clayton, a television presenter from West Yorkshire, was able to reach Edward, but not Billie.
Billie was eventually recovered from the river near Glasbury by firefighters.
Retained firefighter Mr Wildee told the inquest he had been picnicking nearby when his pager alerted him to the incident.
Mr Clayton said to the firefighter: "It's the first time I've had the chance to thank you for what you did."
"I thank you for your local knowledge. I thank you for taking time on your day off, and I just thank you, for you were the one who found her, really."
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