Teenagers save dad and son from drowning in river

Three teenagers have saved the lives of a father and son, after diving into a river in North Yorkshire to rescue them from drowning.

Oliver Barker, Oliver Taylor and Lewis Watts, who are all 18 years old, were relaxing and playing football near a beauty spot on the River Wharfe in Burnsall during hot weather on Friday 26 June when they heard shouting.

A family drew their attention to two people struggling in the river who appeared to be bobbing beneath the surface, and the young men, who are public service students at Craven College, said they rushed into the water "without thinking".

The dad and boy were rescued unharmed from the water and did not need medical help.

"Me and Oli were the first two into the water and managed to get hold of the little lad. He couldn't have been much older than five," Barker, from Cottingley, explained.

"Thankfully, I was able to get the child back to the shore because none of us could stand up in the water.

"Oli and Lewis then went to search for the dad who had disappeared under the water at that point."

Taylor, from Bingley, said: "I couldn't see him, I could only feel him under me, it was quite scary.

"I picked him up from under the shoulders and dragged him back with Lewis. We stayed composed and worked together as a team to get him out."

The students said they believed the pair's trouble had arisen because the knee-height river had a steep drop-off point, leaving those unable to swim helpless.

Thankfully, the boy and his dad were left shaken but unharmed and did not require medical assistance.

"My heart was definitely racing after," Taylor admitted.

"It was definitely a good feeling knowing you've made a difference and saved two lives."

Watts, from Skipton, said: "We just had to crack on and kicked into gear.

"I was void of thought and diving into action. I didn't know how much trouble they were in, but every second in that situation was valuable."

The rescuers were also accompanied by fellow student Ty Owen, who rushed into the water in case any extra help was needed.

The teenagers said the scary situation had affirmed even more that a career in the public services, such as firefighting or policing, would suit them.

"In college, we'd learned water safety and how to rescue people safely," Barker said.

"Without thinking, we just knew what to do.

"We were just glad we were in the right place at the right time to give them the help they needed."

At the same beauty spot on 31 May, 13-year-old Palwasha Akbar went missing after getting into difficulty at the same beauty spot.

Despite a rescue operation, she later died in hospital a day before her 14th birthday.

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.