A TWELVE-year-old-boy has been hailed a hero after rescuing a drowning man from a pond by throwing him a lifebuoy and pulling him out of the freezing water.

Tyler Roxby, of Shotton Colliery, near Peterlee, east Durham, was cycling around a fishing pond near his home when he was alerted by three children screaming for help for their father, who was in difficulty.

Tyler said: “I saw his head half sticking out of the water and he was waving his arms.

“I ran around and got one of the rings and ran back threw it in to him. I couldn’t pulled him because he was too heavy for me and it was muddy and slippy.

“So I tied the rope around a tree and I was able to pull him out. He was gasping for breath and thanked me.”

The boy’s family only found out about the rescue after the man, who has not been identified, spotted him and thanked him within earshot of his grandfather.

Tyler’s mother Nichola Roxby said: “I am really proud of him. No one would have been any the wiser to what happened. But my father overheard the man talking to him and saying “if it wasn’t for you son, I wouldn’t be here now”.

“The man was still dripping with water. Tyler carried on as though nothing had happened.

"He has taken it on the chin as if it was the normal thing to do and anyone would have done the same.”

Local fisherman Craig Whitelock said: "It is unbelievable what he has done. Top of the range.

"He is a hero. He kept it to himself. The lad needs some recognition for what he has done."

The man who Tyler rescued is believed to have entered the water to get a remote controlled boat out.