A TEENAGER has been praised after saving a woman who fell into the canal in Middlewich.

Jacob Roberts heroically held a woman afloat for 20 minutes after she fell from Wardle Lock at around 2pm on October 16.

The 16-year-old aided her in the water until Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service arrived to help.

Jacob’s dad Darren said: “I just got a call to say Jacob was in the canal.

“It turns out a lady had fallen in the canal and broken her leg and Jacob just happened to be walking by at the time.

“Where the lock is, you can’t really get out, so he’s dragged her about 100 metres to where you can get out, but he couldn’t lift her up.

“Someone had called for an ambulance and Jacob had to stand her up for 20 minutes.

“He definitely saved the lady because she was in quite a bad way.

“It was horrendous weather too, it was hailing and thundering.

“He’s done well.”

A spokesperson for Cheshire Fire confirmed a team from Middlewich Fire Station attended the incident shortly before 2.30pm.

They said: "Firefighters rescued a person that had fallen in a canal in Middlewich.

"They got her out of the water, after she had been stabilised by a member of the public who was also in the canal, helped warm her up and administered first aid before handing her to the care ambulance staff.

"They were in attendance for approximately 90 minutes."