Part-time firefighter reunited with teen he saved from river
THIS MORNING EMERGENCY SERVICES AWARD
In one of the most emotional moments of the night, part-time firefighter Steve was reunited with the teenager he saved after risking his own life to dive to the bottom of an icy river.
Thirteen-year-old Kacper Krauze’s body had been submerged for more than 20 minutes after the icy water sent him into shock as he tried to swim across the River Eden in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria. Unable to dive down and reach him, Steve took off his flotation equipment and helmet so he could bring the boy to the surface.
“Thank you, for so much,” said Kacper, as he and Steve held their hands together up in the air.
Joined on stage by This Morning’s Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, 53-year-old Steve said: “It’s just a job you love doing. You train with a bunch of like-minded people, you come together and gel really well.”
Holly said: “With the pandemic we realised just how incredible the emergency services and the NHS were, and this is a perfect opportunity to have the unsung heroes of the other emergency services celebrated.”
Sir Rod Stewart and wife Penny Lancaster came on stage to present Steve with his award.
And Penny Lancaster, who works as a special constable in central London, revealed why Steve’s actions were so heroic. “Working in the City of London, one of our tasks each evening is to walk along the bridges, to watch out for people who might be in a bad place in their lives.
“But we’re also told to not go in after anyone under any circumstances. That’s how incredible what Steve did was, he went against protocol and took off his own safety gear to rescue the boy.
“As someone who’s had the training, that makes what he did even more incredible.”