★'I'm no hero. I just did what I thought I should'
Local hero: Ryan Redman, 13, scaled a 30ft cliff face in Devon to rescue a stricken diver after she suffered a panic attack
A schoolboy climbed down a 30ft cliff face and leapt into the sea to rescue a woman diver from drowning.Ryan Redman, 13, was walking along the coastline by Brixham, in Devon, with two friends when he heard the frantic cries for help from two divers around 20ft from the shore. The woman, in her late 50s, was suffering a panic attack.
The teenager clambered down the rain-soaked cliffs, calmly swam out into the surf and hauled the woman to safety.
He then climbed back up the cliffs to ask his friends to dial 999, before navigating the treacherous route for a third and final time so he could comfort the diver until help arrived.
Ryan said: 'I saw they were in trouble and didn't really even think about it. I quickly climbed down and jumped into the sea.
'It was freezing but one of them was shouting "I can't do it, I can't go on" so I knew she needed help.
'Maybe the lady had suffered a panic attack or something because she was really struggling and not making a lot of sense.
'She was so heavy because she had her tank on but I helped the man, who seemed really tired, drag her onto the rocks before we calmed her down and I held her hand.
'I climbed back up to tell my friends to dial 999 and then the RNLI arrived. There was a crowd of about ten people at the top of the cliff at this point.
'I don't think it was heroic but other people have told me it was. I just did what I thought I should.
'It was lucky really. I know the area and have climbed down before but never when it was wet like that, as it had been raining.'
Ryan was walking with friends Sophie Gillard and April Field, both 12, at Breakwater Beach when he heard the cries for help.
The schoolboy's grandmother Jane Redman, 57, said: 'He's like that, he'll jump in first and ask questions later. If someone needs help, he'll be there like a shot.
Ryan scaled the cliff to pull the struggling elderly diver (circled) from the water. Here, the RNLI have arrived to take the two divers to safety
Breakwater beach, Brixham, where the three youngsters were walking when they heard the frantic cries for help
'He has a heart of gold. He wouldn't have thought twice about it and just seen that someone needed helped and leapt in after them.
'He's like a little monkey with his climbing but we're all so proud of him. He was very cool and calm and just did what he thought was right.'
The diver, who has not been named, gave Ryan £10 and thanked him for helping in the rescue.
Ryan added: 'He was really grateful and it was very nice of him to give us the money.'
Ryan's mother Amber, 30, added: 'We're all really proud of him and I'm sure he'd do it again if needs be. Someone was struggling and it was in his nature to help them.'
A spokesman for South Western Ambulance Service said the woman was treated at the scene for exhaustion.
source:dailymail
