A NATIONWIDE search for a young heroine of the Lynmouth Flood Disaster has ended in success - in the Cotswolds.
The RSPCA appealed for help in tracking down Jennifer Pearce, who was 11 years old when the village was deluged in 1952. Newspapers including the Free Press published the appeal, and Jennifer's story was recognised by a friend.
She has been contacted and will be among the guests of honour at an RSPCA display being mounted as part of the commemoration of the disaster on August 15.
Now Jennifer Lidsey, she lived at the Orchard House Hotel in 1952 and received an RSPCA award for the rescue of her pony, Lynbelle.
The pony was tied up in her stable which was under 18 inches of water at the rear of the Lyndale Hotel and Jennifer waded through torrents of water to reach her.
She then had to push floating cars out of the way to lead Lynbelle - without a halter - back across the car park to the safety of the churchyard.
"It was dark because all the electricity had gone, so I couldn't reach for a halter, but Lynbelle was good as gold and just followed me to the churchyard," said Jennifer.
"When I eventually got back to my parents, they weren't that overjoyed with me as I had gone off on my own!
"Within a couple of hours, the churchyard started to flood so we moved Lynbelle to the coal cellar."
The disaster happened on the evening of August 15 after torrential rain over Exmoor. The rivers of the East and West Lyn overwhelmed the village, killing 34 people and destroying many houses.
"We couldn't see the disaster which was happening further downstream, but I knew the people in the cottages opposite us which got washed away.
"It was a totally changed place afterwards, and there was tremendous sadness, but people do tend to just get on with things as well," said Jennifer.
Also a guest of honour will be retired RSPCA chief inspector John Ambrose who, together with his wife, rescued over 100 animals in the flood and received the RSPCA Queen Victoria Silver Medal.
The memorial ceremony will include the unveiling and dedication of a plain wooden cross. The RSPCA is among a number of organisations that will be mounting a display, at the tennis courts on Manor Grounds, of photographs and items relating to the disaster.