Hero carer died 'jumping into' freezing canal to save autistic man who had fallen into the water

A widow has paid tribute to her carer husband who an inquest heard jumped into a freezing canal to save an autistic man he was caring for who fell into an icy canal. Both men died.

Ceri John Jenkins, known as ‘Ces’, 60, and the man he was looking after, Aaron Ritchie, 49, both died after going into the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in Wigan on Tuesday afternoon of November 28 last year. Both men were pulled from the water by specialist divers during a huge emergency response and later died in hospital. The double tragedy happened at Crank Wood, a beauty spot in the Abram area of the town.

Today (Wednesday) it emerged Ceri, a carer at Mayfield House supported living accommodation, had been urged to take Aaron, who was said to have the mental age of a ten-year-old, for his favourite walk along the canal while building work was continuing.

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Mr Jenkins' wife Lorraine Jenkins, in a statement read out at Bolton Coroners' Court, said her husband was born in Bromley, Kent, where he lived with his parents, sister and younger brother. The family moved to Wisconsin in the USA but moved back to the UK, setting up home in Halton, a picturesque village just north of Lancaster.

Ceri was academically gifted, like his father, and had a scholarship to study at Oxford University where he obtained a ‘very good degree’, the inquest was told.

Mrs Jenkins said the couple married in 2000 and set up home in Wigan where he was a devoted step-father to her three children. Mr Jenkins' tastes were described as ‘eclectic’ with interests in cabinet making, DIY, tennis, gardening, conservation, nature, Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.

“He was