AN IRISH pensioner has appealed for information about the fate of a man he saved from drowning in Oxford in 1961.

Christopher Flynn from Celbridge, County Kildare in the Republic of Ireland, pulled the man from the River Thames at the start of July in that year.

But although he saved the man’s life, he never knew his name or what ultimately happened to him.

Now aged 79 the former stonemason wants the people of Oxford to help him find out how the man spent the rest of his days.

Mr Flynn said he was employed by Symm and Co at their yard in the former Morris Motors Garage, now Oxford Crown Court, in St Aldate’s.

He said: “I was directed by my works foreman to go to Folly Bridge and carry out designated stonework repairs and replacements.

“I was working when this old gentleman came along and complimented us on our work.

“Then he walked down the staircase beside the bridge and, still wearing his cap, overcoat and boots he quite calmly stepped into the very fast flowing river.

“I dived in after him and dug him out and he was taken to St Aldate’s police station.

“I went to see him and it turned out he was from County Wexford and he had spent his entire working life since his 20s working with the British Ministry of Works all over the United Kingdom. But he had been made to retire at 65 and was now a vagrant.”

The man was charged with attempted suicide, which was a crime at the time, and was due to appear at Oxford Magistrates’ Court.

But before his appearance Mr Flynn spoke to the Oxford University Catholic Chaplaincy about the man’s plight.

As a result a Franciscan friar from the chaplaincy asked the court to release the man into his custody on the condition he would look after him and give him somewhere to live, which the magistrates agreed to.

Mr Flynn said: “I saw the man once again when I was strolling across Magdalen Bridge some weeks later and he was sitting on a bench.

“He stood up and saluted me and I never saw him again.

The man is obviously deceased by now, but I should very much like to visit his resting place.”

* Do you know what came of the man Mr Flynn saved? Call reporter Luke Sproule 01865 425 422