East Yorkshire holidaymakers rescue trio from sea off St Lucia

Holidaymakers praised for rescuing three women from the sea off St Lucia have said they were just "in the right place at the right time".

Matt Hammond and his sister-in-law, Helen Reeson, were visiting Rodney Bay Beach with their family when they spotted the group in the water.

Ms Reeson, from East Yorkshire, said: "I didn't really think about myself, we just knew that we had to get to them.

"Only after do you think we did a good thing, we did save somebody's life."

The group, from Leven, said when they first spotted the women they thought they were waving at them, but when they realised they were in danger Mr Hammond and Ms Reeson ran into the water.

"It took a moment for us to register that they were in trouble," Mr Hammond said.

"The lady in the middle was bobbing up and down and taking water on board.

"We got hold of her, we pulled her and swam with her to shore.

"As we got to shore my wife was waiting and she and Helen then took the lady off and the first aid that they administered calmed her down before they sent her on her way and encouraged her to go and see a doctor."

The rescue attracted coverage in the island newspaper, but neither Mr Hammond nor Ms Reeson said they felt they had done anything out of the ordinary.

Reflecting on the events Mr Hammond said: "I don't think you think about anything really, you see somebody in trouble and your natural instinct is that you want to help, and I'd like to think that most people would do the same thing.

Ms Reeson, who works as a firefighter, added: "I definitely don't see myself as a hero, no".

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