Snowman safe after dramatic Taff rescue

Percy was seen being stolen from his post as guard to the entrance of the Christmas theme park, which officially opens at the Millennium Stadium on the weekend of the 16th and 17th of December and runs through to the New Year. Percy was captured on CCTV footage, seemingly being thrown into the river Taff.

That footage, available at http://www.millenniumstadium.com/ (click the Snowman Missing story), sparked a city-wide search for the 8ft, white fibreglass snowman – complete with pink hat and waist-coat and piercing blue eyes – but the Stadium and Funderworld organisers were buoyed by Percy’s safe return late last night (Tuesday).



Percy had floated, head up according to many residents living on the Taff embankment, down the river to Cardiff Bay where he got caught up in a collection of driftwood and other miscellaneous objects carried out towards the sea by one of the UK’s ten biggest rivers.

Rescued by staff at the Cardiff Harbour authority, Percy was this morning collected by his friends at Blizzard Funderworld.

“Obviously we are very relieved that he has been found and look forward to getting him home again. Now we begin the painstaking process of getting him better in time for our opening,” said Edward Mellors, director of the Funderworld theme park.

“Whilst Percy won’t have need of a neuro surgeon as his head seems to have come out of this horrible experience unscathed, his body is in very poor shape, both from the severe kicking he suffered, as demonstrated on the cctv footage and but also the battering he has had due to rough water.

“If there are any schools or youth groups who would like to help us put Percy back together again and provide him with a sparkling new painted suit in time for Christmas, we would be delighted to receive their assistance.

“In return they will be able to attend for free our charity morning on Saturday 16th December with their parents and teachers as our thank you. In the meantime we would like to thank everyone who has phoned wishing us good look in our search for him. We are of course giving all those who rescued Percy free tickets to the Millennium Stadium’s Blizzard Funderworld Theme Park.”



Millennium Stadium chief executive Paul Sergeant added: “We may have all had a little fun with Percy’s adventure, but now we can get down to the serious business of enjoying ourselves at the Blizzard Funderworld theme park.

“It is the opening day on Saturday and we are expecting this to be an extremely popular event over the Christmas and New Year period.

“We had over 50,000 visitors last year, add to that the bigger and better rides that Funderworld have brought with them and the highly professional attitude they have to entertaining the public and a wonderful time should be had by one and all at the Millennium Stadium over the next few weeks.”