A MUM has hailed her son a "humble hero" after he saved the life of a little girl in a swimming pool on holiday.

Sarah Emsley and husband Justin had taken their nine-year-old son Frank and younger sister Winnie (7) to Tenerife during half-term and it is a trip they will be remember for a long time to come.

"We only booked it at the very last minute, when the government lifted the travel corridor for the Canary Islands," Sarah explained.

"We'd only been there a couple of days and Frank was in the pool playing when he spotted a little girl under the water.

"As he was looking at her, he thought to himself, 'I can't hold my breath that long' so he swam over to her.

"He lifted her up from under the water and she was blue, making a gargling noise and foaming at the mouth.

"He shouted over to who he thought was her mum for help and then the lifeguards managed to take her out of the water and call for the paramedics."

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The little girl, four-year-old Olivia Grace, who was on holiday with her parents from their home in East Sussex, was taken to hospital for observation, but thanks to Frank's quick actions, was otherwise unhurt.

Sarah added: "It was the quick thinking of Frank, which is unusual for a little boy to see something like that as they're normally so preoccupied playing.

"But he's really observant and he's always looking out for people.

"The parents were in shock but they came over to us the next day and they couldn't thank Frank enough."

The families swapped details and a couple of weeks later, Frank, who has just started at a new school after the family moved from Manchester to live in the little village of Antrobus, received a letter.

"Olivia Grace's teacher had written a letter to the Head Teacher of Frank's school to tell him what a brave boy they've got at their school," Sarah explained.

"His teacher said he's just so humble, because until they got the letter they didn't know anything about it because he hadn't said anything.

"It's a little bit of a Sliding Doors moment, because you begin to think, if we hadn't have booked that holiday on the Thursday, what would have happened?

"We're just extremely proud of Frank and it's something that he won't forget."

For Frank, who wants to be an actor when he's older, it was something he's just taken in his stride.

Sarah said: "He was a bit shocked at first and then he thought about what he'd done the next day.

"We'd actually seen the commotion by the pool ourselves and our little girl Winnie came running over to us and said a little girl was choking and that they'd been told to get out of the pool.

"Then Frank just appeared out of nowhere and said 'it was me that saved her'.

"He's got his four grandparents, including my mum who's got Alzheimer's, and he's just so good with her."