A CARER who walked into a freezing river with two young children and threatened to drown them has walked free from court.

Rhonda Micetich was suffering from ‘mental trauma’, a court heard.

The 31-year-old told passers-by not to rescue her from the water.

The ‘distressed’ carer and the two children were rescued by members of the public who were praised by a judge for their ‘extraordinary’ bravery.

Micetich told officials she wanted to end her life having received correspondence from the government that her visa was due to expire and she would have to return to India.

At Winchester Crown Court she was handed a two-year community order.

Micetich entered the River, Itchen near the Cobden Bridge in Southampton, with two young children on October 26, 2023.

Prosecuting, Maria Karaiskos KC, said: “Members of the public saw the defendant carrying [the children] into the water up to their shoulder depth and heard her saying that she was going to kill herself and [the] children.

“On the edge of the waters, the defendant left a suicide note which stated that she wanted to kill the children.”

Two schoolgirls witnessed Micetich going deeper into the water.

Ms Karaiskos KC said: “The schoolgirls saw the defendant proceed further into the water to her shoulder height, with the water up to the babies’ necks, although they noted that the defendant was keeping the babies heads up quite high.

“They heard the [young children] screaming and sounding distressed.

“The weather was cold that day and the [young children] were described as being really scared.”

Simon Ling, a member of the public, watched the events unfold and proceeded to grab a life ring and informed police officers that he would go into the water.

The passerby was a ‘strong swimmer’ and was able to reach Micetich.

The prosecutor said one of the children was ‘shivering heavily’.

The carer passed the children - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - over to him.

Terence Dyer, Simon Tipper and Samuel Liscoe noticed the police running towards a woman in the water and decided to assist by slowly rowing a boat towards her.

Ms Karaiskos KC said: “They paddled out slowly across the water so as not to frighten the defendant who by this stage was stood in the middle of the river.

“When they reached her, she no longer had the children with her.”

Eventually, Mr Liscoe managed to get hold of her hand, pull her towards the boat and assist her in getting out of the water.

Mr Liscoe said the woman went into ‘immediate shock’ so he put her into recovery position. She was later arrested.

Micetech told the emergency services that she had been suffering ‘mental trauma’.

She admitted child cruelty relating to two young children.

The carer pleaded guilty to two counts of child neglect.

Sentencing, Judge Paul Dugdale said Micetich could have easily ‘lost grip’ of the children.

The judge commended the ‘brave and humane’ actions of the community - in particular Mr Dyer, Mr Ling and Mr Liscoe - who jumped into action.