A proud head teacher hailed one of his pupils as a "pure wonder" five years ago this week after saving a drowning swimmer's life.

A heroic teenager who saved a drowning swimmer’s life said he “didn’t really think” as he risked his own life.

Epping St John’s school pupil David Castleman, 14, was on a campervan holiday with his family in Sea Palling, Norfolk, last Saturday (July 23).

As they walked along the beach at about 10.30am, someone ran up to them asking if they were strong swimmers, saying people were in trouble in the water.

David, who trained as a lifeguard at Loughton swimming pool, launched into action.

“I didn’t really think too much, I just took off my shirt and went in,” he said.

“As I went out I could see them as the water was relatively flat, there weren’t too many waves.

“It was 50m, 60m out.”

The unconscious men were “lifeless and limp” as he reached them, David said.

Seeing signs of life in the younger of the pair, he used his lifeguard training to pull him back to shore in about a minute.

Others helped get the 26-year-old Polish man on to the beach and started giving him CPR.

Exhausted after the rescue, David stayed on the land as others retrieved the older man, also Polish.

David’s father John then desperately gave CPR to the older man, continuing with others over the next 45 minutes as coastguards, the air ambulance and paramedics arrived.

Despite their efforts, the man sadly died.

The younger man was resuscitated and is recovering in hospital.

Mr Castleman said: “At the time, because there was so much going on, we didn’t have time to react.

“But we walked away back to the campsite, someone made us a cup of tea and that evening it sort of started sinking in.

“Yes, my son saved a life and he could have been another victim.

“We could have lost him, but thankfully we didn’t.”

He added: “We just wanted to go away and have a nice chilled and relaxing weekend.

“We are glad we did, because we were there at the right place at the right time.

“David was able to put skills into practice and save someone’s life.

“We are very proud parents.”

Epping St John's head teacher Allan Osborne said: “He is an amazing young man.

“We are bursting with pride.

“He is a pure wonder.”