AS APPLEBY Horse Fair comes to a close one man is describes the terrifying moment he dived into the river to rescue a teen from the water.

Traditionally members of the Gypsy and Traveller community take their horses down to the River Eden in Appleby to wash off their horses ready for sale.

In a terrifying twist of fate a youngsters horse began to struggle and as told to the News & Star the youngster was unable to swim so clung on for dear life.

While watching the events unfold one man jumped from the river bank to pull the teen to safety.

David Waggitt, 25 from Gateshead said: “I was sitting on the bank with my family, my wife and two boys, when we realised that a horse and young lad started to get in a bit trouble in the water.

“When his horse started to go under the water quite a lot the RSPCA started to shout for the boy to leave go but little did we know he could not swim.

“He kept a hold of the horse making things a lot worse.

“He was going under the water quite a lot, after seeing them go under the water and only the horse to come back up I quickly released I had to do something to help before he drowned.

“I jumped off the side bank ran along the stones towards him and swam towards him firstly I could not see him with being under water but after feeling round in the water.

“I felt him and grab his shirt and pulled him to the side he was unconscious lips all blue. The ambulance came straight away and took him away, he is ok and came to see me to thank me properly.

“He is stilled a bit shocked and the horse is recovering with the RSPCA.”

A spokesman for North West Ambulance Service said: "We have taken a teenager to hospital.

"Three ambulances and an advanced paramedic attended the scene at The Sands, Appleby-in-Westmorland.

"We received a 999 call of a person in the water at 3.33 on Saturday."

Rob Melloy Cheif inspetor for the RSPCA said: “ We are currently investigating an incident that happened in the River at Appleby horse Fair and we are working with the police to find out the full extent of the incident.

"There was a lot of people on the river at the time and we are asking people to send in any videos or images they may have that could help with our investigation. We can confirm we have the horse in our care.”