Hero part-time firefighter Stephen Wharton has been nominated for a Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Award for his courageous rescue of 13-year-old Kacper Krouze .
It was nothing short of miraculous, after the teen has been underwater for 25 minutes, making Stephen more than worthy of inclusion on the shortlist of four for the awards' Emergency Services honour.
The show, in partnership with TSB, will be broadcast on ITV on November 4 at 8pm.
Ahead of the big day, Stephen tells Matt Roper why you always have to hold on to hope - and never give up.
It was on a unseasonably hot February day when part-time firefighter Stephen was called to an emergency on the River Eden in Cumbria.
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Thirteen-year-old Kacper Krouze had been attempting to swim across the river when the cold water sent his body into shock and he sunk to the bottom.
When crew manager Stephen, a painter and decorator, and his crew from Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service’s Appleby station, arrived the boy had been under the water for 25 minutes.
Crew members thought they would be retrieving the teenager’s dead body, but Stephen says: “I remember on the bank seeing the boy’s parents, who as you can imagine were hysterical, and that made me think, ‘I’ve got to get him’.
Initially he dived in with his flotation device on, but the safety equipment he was wearing meant he couldn’t swim down.
So going against protocol he removed his device, helmet and all the air from his dry suit to enable him to dive 15 feet to the bottom of the river, risking his own life in strong currents and freezing conditions.
He remembers: “When I finally found the body it was just lifeless, I managed to pull him out of the river and then he was in the hands of the paramedics.”
Incredibly Kacper was resuscitated and flown to hospital, where after three week in an induced coma he finally opened his eyes. He has since made a steady recovery.
Kacper’s mum Wioletta said: “It’s a miracle he survived. Every day is a little bit better, and he’s slowly getting back to normal.”
Chief Fire Officer John Beard said: “There is no doubt that the quick thinking, courage and professionalism of all those involved in this rescue helped save the life of a young man that afternoon. This was a first-class rescue and the way in which Crew Manager Stephen Wharton and the combined efforts of the Appleby crew dealt with a very high-pressured situation was exemplary.”
Stephen says: “You always have that element of hope and that is what kept us going, you can never give up.”
- The Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards, in partnership with TSB, will be shown on ITV on November 4, at 8pm.
