Schoolboy receives top honour for saving child
BRAVE 10-YEAR-OLD IN POOL RESCUE
Reporter COURAGE and quick thinking from 10-year-old Blake Stephenson saved a young boy’s life – and his actions last summer have earned with a top award.
Blake has now been named the Pride of the North East’s Child of Courage for his intervention that day.
Then just nine years old, he spotted another child at the bottom of the swimming pool.
Despite his young age, Blake sprung into action and dived down to save the boy, fearing the worst.
Blake, who attends Kirk Merrington Primary School near Spennymoor, County Durham, said: “I saw he was lying on the bottom so I prodded him with my foot to check he wasn’t just seeing how long he could stay down there, but he didn’t move.
“I knew I had to help him so I dived down to the bottom and pulled him back up to the top with me.”
The schoolboy was on holiday with his sister Tilly, six, his mum Victoria Duke and her husband David last July when he made his life-saving impact.
Victoria said she didn’t realised at first that her son was the hero.
She said: “It was horrible really, we heard someone screaming we need to get a doctor or a nurse, the little boy had no pulse and my friend did CPR until the ambulance came.
“It felt like we were waiting forever.
“Blake was very shaken up and he told me, ‘mum it was me, I pulled him out.’ I just couldn’t believe it, it’s amazing that he just knew what to do.”
Speaking after Blake – who ironically failed to get his life-saving certificate in swimming classes – was named the Pride of the North East’s Child of Courage, Victoria said: “It’s just brilliant, to be honest it all still feels a bit surreal.
“It is so lovely that he has been recognised like this, it’s just amazing.”
Last year, Blake won a Chronicle Champions award and received another prize from the chairman of Durham County Council.
Victoria said: “Blake used to be very shy but awards like this have really given him a confidence boost. He has come out of his shell a lot more.”