Story by: Latifa Yedroudj

A heroic teenager has told how he saved the life of a seven-week-old baby after a pram rolled into a canal.

Sixteen-year-old George Hibberd says that he acted "from the bottom of my heart" after recovering the infant from the Royal Military Canal in Hythe .

The dramatic incident happened after the child's mother knelt down to strap her dog's lead while keeping the pram by her side, not noticing it rolling away until too late.

In split-second thinking, George quickly removed his clothes and dived into the waters to retrieve the newborn.

He said: "I was going for a walk with my friend, Ronny, 16, leisurely walk, 9 pm, Saturday night,

“I saw the pram right before it rolled off. The mum was putting her dog’s lead on and the pram was right beside her but it started to roll off.

“There was a tree there and I thought it was going to block the pram from going straight into the river.

“But I was wrong. There was a dip in the pavement which I think caused the pram to roll off because the ground looked straight.

“In just a few seconds the baby ended up going into the water.

“Me and my friend screamed to the mum ‘Your baby!’ and she was screaming asking us to help get her child.

“The pram was slightly floating above the water and the baby was still lying inside.

“I got to it just in time before it sank any deeper. If I got there later it would have definitely sunk even more.

"I didn't do it for gratification, I did it from the bottom of my heart"

George said swimming in the canal was his “worst nightmare” and he was terrified of all the creatures roaming in the waters, but he knew he had to save the baby before it was too late.

“Before I was going in the water, I thought, ‘what could be in there?’ The canal was my worst nightmare, I can’t stand moss, algae, and fish, and rats. The water was freezing cold.

“But I had so much adrenaline I didn’t even think about it, I took off my clothes and dived straight in.

“I had to swim a little bit in the middle of the canal. It was really dark and I couldn’t see much.”

George managed to swim to the pram and carried it in his right arm while using his left arm to paddle back to dry land.

The 16-year-old said the baby was crying frantically but he managed to get the newborn back to the mum safely.

George offered to call a taxi for the mum but she said her house was not too far away, so he and his friend left shortly after.

The college student and his mum, Natalie, are trying to get in trace down the mother to see if there is anything they can do to help.

Geoge added: “I didn’t really want people to know about what I did. I don’t like a fuss or like being the centre of attention, I didn't do it for gratification, I did it from the bottom of my heart.”

Natalie, 39, said: “Myself and my husband, Rick, are extremely proud of George. We’re blown away by his courage and his selfless act."

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