TWO women who saved a nine-year-old boy from drowning are set to receive a national award for their bravery.

Gemma Grievson, of Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, and Rachael Wilson-Leech, of Ingleton, County Durham, risked their lives by jumping into the sea at Whitby, while fully clothed, to save the life of the youngster in August last year.

He had fallen into the water from rocks near the resort’s pier and was carried out to sea by a rip current.

Had the pair not intervened, the youngster, from Stockton, would have almost certainly drowned.

To honour their bravery, the pair have been awarded Royal Humane Society testimonials personally approved and signed by Princess Alexandra, the society’s president.

Ms Grievson said: “It was just instinct. I swam out after him, but I didn’t realise how far out the rocks went and I hit my stomach.

“That’s when Rachael came past me. We grabbed onto him and started trying to pull him in, but he was just blue. I thought he was dead.

“Someone threw a life ring and we got him in it, but nobody pulled it so we started drifting. Eventually someone grabbed the end and we came towards the shore.”

Despite a rip tide, the pair managed to get the youngster close to some rocks, where Ms Grievson’s partner, Lee Jones, and another man were able to pull the boy from the water.

The other man then carried out life-saving CPR on the boy before he was taken to hospital by air ambulance.

Secretary of the Royal Humane Society, Dick Wilkinson, praised the pair and said: “There is no doubt that they saved this lad’s life and in doing so put their own lives at risk. They richly deserve the awards they are to receive.”

Ms Grievson had been for a day out with son, two-year-old Louie, two, and her partner and his son Joshua, 11.

“I think about it quite a bit. I get anxious about it. Especially with Louie, I think it makes you imagine what can happen to your own. I’m probably over protective now,” she added.

The Royal Humane Society was founded in 1774 by doctors William Hawes and Thomas Cogan and is the premier national body for honouring bravery in the saving of human life.