An heroic Appleby firefighter has won royal acclaim after he showed immense bravery in saving the life of a young boy in 2019.

Stephen Wharton, Crew Manager at Appleby Fire Station has been awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal after putting his life on the line to save 13-year-old Kacper Krauze, who had got into difficulty whilst swimming in the River Eden.

Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service said: "Stephen was presented with his medal by the Lord-Lieutenant for Cumbria, Mrs Claire Hensman, yesterday at our Headquarters. Congratulations to Stephen and the entire Appleby On-call Crew on this fantastic achievement!"

Stephen had also earlier this year received a Pride of Britain award for his valiant act, when Kacper was trying to swim across the river in February 2019, and his body went into shock due to the freezing conditions.

Stephen had to think quickly and discard his safety equipment so that he could dive 15 feet to the bottom of the river, despite the cold and strong current, to rescue Kacper

It is estimated that Kacper was under water for between 20 and 30 minutes.

After being resuscitated by emergency services he was flown by air ambulance to hospital in Newcastle where he spent several weeks in intensive care, making a strong recovery.

Firefighter John Bell also joined the rescue in the river and they were supported by firefighters David Anderton, Michael Dowding, Bradley Hall, James Wood and Neil Aitken from the riverbank.

A certificate of commendation from Steve Healey, Chief Fire Officer with the Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, was also presented to the crew at Appleby Fire Station, with Kacper and his family in attendance.

The Westmorland Gazette: CREW: The rescue team with Kacper KrauzeCREW: The rescue team with Kacper Krauze

Mr Healey 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, including the paramedics, doctors, and Great North Air Ambulance.

"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."