AFTER risking his own life for the life of a teenager, an Appleby firefighter has been named a finalist in the Pride of Britain Awards.

On February 26 Appleby fire crew were called to a water rescue in the town.

When the crew arrived they found a teenage boy underwater and he had been there for up to 30 minutes. Crew manager Stephen Wharton and firefighter John Bell went into the river with the support of the rest of the crew.

The 13-year-old had been swimming in the river when he got into difficulty then disappeared under water.

After a quick search the team including, David Anderton, Michael Dowding, Bradley Hall, James Wood and crew manager Neil Aitken located the boy.

Mr Wharton risked his own life by taking off his protective flotation equipment and diving underwater to bring the youngster to the surface.

Firefighters and paramedics resuscitated him, he was then flown by Air Ambulance to hospital in Newcastle where he stayed in intensive care.

The Pride of Britain Awards, in partnership with TSB, includes a shortlist of four emergency services heroes and Crew manager Stephen Wharton has been made it to the finals.

Chief Fire Officer John Beard said: "I’d like to congratulate Stephen for this fantastic achievement and also the entire Appleby crew who also assisted at the incident that day.

"This was a first-class rescue and the way in which Stephen and the combined efforts of the Appleby crew dealt with a very high-pressured situation was exemplary. It was an act of bravery which is thoroughly deserving of the award."

The Pride of Britain Awards will be broadcast on ITV 1 on November 4 at 8pm.