A mum has shared her heartbreak after her brave son tried to save his drowning friend by jumping into the River Tyne after him – Aras Rudzianskas died last year
A mum has made a heartbreaking tribute to her son after he tragically died when he was pulled away by the current in the River Tyne. Aras Rudzianskas, 13, had jumped in to try and help his friend, David Radut, 14, after he got into difficulty close to the bridge near Ovingham, Northumberland, one year ago.
Pulled away by the current, the incident caused a search for David in the water before he was found. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Young Aras, who has a twin sister, was rescued but also sadly died three days later on May 21.
Now, Aras’s mum Egle Rudzianskas has paid tribute to her boy, saying he was a funny, caring and kind boy who would go out of his way to help others. “He was a beautiful-natured boy”, Egle, from Cowgate in Newcastle, said. “He was never fighting, never doing anything wrong.”
The grieving mum, who moved to the UK two decades ago, told ChronicleLive: “He would help me to translate things. He was my angel, he was my best friend, he was my everything.”
Over the past year, Egle, who works at B&M, has struggled to come to terms with the hole left by Aras’s death. She said: “I feel the same today as what I felt a year ago.
“For me, it’s like there’s something inside of me that has been taken out. I can’t explain. I still don’t understand what’s happened.”
The tight-knit family had been struck by tragedy just two years earlier in April 2022, when Egle’s husband and the twins’ dad Mindaugas died of a heart attack. Aras had attempted to give him CPR after learning about it at school.
Aras told his mum he wanted to get a job as soon as he turned 16 so she would not have to work. The young Newcastle fan who enjoyed playing on his Xbox “wanted a house and a car and everything”.
Aras loved going out with his friends, and he had told his mum about going to Ovingham, but she warned him against it. Especially going into the river, despite the fact he was a strong swimmer.
On Sunday, Egle and her daughter Aina will go to the site where Aras and David lost their lives and put up a plaque in his memory. They hope it will discourage anyone from entering the River Tyne there, where 13-year-old Robert Hattersley also lost his life after getting into difficulty in July 2022.
Egle continued: “I’m in shock and I’m angry about that day because I lost a son at that place. I can’t believe children go there. The river is very dangerous.”
Despite the circumstances of her son’s death, Egle said she is “proud” of her son for trying to help his friend despite risking his own safety. She says she hopes people will remember the tragic incidents in the river, but fears they will be forgotten.
Since the horror incident, an oak tree, Lithuania’s national tree, has been planted at the D2 youth club in Newbiggin Hall where Aras would spend time with his friends. A memorial plaque is set to be placed at the riverside today, and there will be a balloon release on Wednesday.