THREE swimming pool lifeguards have been rewarded for their part in saving a teenager from drowning.

Stuart Clarke, Liz Davies and Jon Longman have been presented with certificates of meritorious action for lifeguards from the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS), by Bexleys mayor John Wilkinson.

The dramatic rescue took place at Bexleyheaths Splashworld swimming centre last December.

A 14-year-old boy was at the pool with two friends and they were trying to swim underwater for as long as they could.

But a Leisure Link lifeguard at the pool noticed the boy had not resurfaced and was lying motionless on the bottom of the pool.

The teenager was immediately dragged out of the water and lifeguards began resuscitation at the poolside while they waited for an ambulance to arrive.

Ambulance staff took over resuscitation and worked on the boy at the poolside for nearly an hour before he was taken to Queen Marys hospital, Sidcup.

He was treated in intensive care before eventually making a full recovery. The staff were commended at the time by the ambulance service and Leisure Link was notified by the RLSS that they had been commended for their actions.

There were also congratulations for the lifeguards training assessor Chris Deering from Stuart Bailey, of the National Lifeguard and Rescue Committee.