A RETIRED Raglan doctor has been presented with a Royal Lifesaving Society commendation after rescuing a young boy from drowning while on holiday.

Last October Dr Cliff Pook was with his grandchildren Thomas and Oliver at Butlins in Minehead when he saw the body of a small child at the bottom of the deep end of the swimming pool.

He "duck dived" in and pulled the boy from the bottom of the pool on to the side where he expected one of the lifeguards to take over.

But to his horror on getting out of the pool he found that they had been unable to revive the boy. Taking over, Dr Pook managed to get the boy's heart going and revive him. He was taken by air ambulance to hospital in Taunton, where it was thought that he would make a full recovery.

By coincidence the incident was witnessed by a reporter from Which magazine who was investigating health and safety aspects at the holiday centre.

Their subsequent report in the Which holiday edition expressed concern about the number of elementary mistakes which were being made at the centre.

"It was very worrying because lots of grandparents, like us, take their children to Butlins because they feel they are safe there.

"One of the worst mistakes was that the lifeguards were on the side of the pool where you can't see the bottom because of the reflection - that's why at public swimming pools you get lifeguards standing on stepladders so that they can see the bottom.

"The boy was extremely fortunate to survive."

Dr Pook, who has had major heart surgery and suffered pneumonia and deep vein thrombosis as a result of the rescue, has had a lifelong interest in lifesaving which he traces back to the influence of his Headmaster at St Julian's in Newport.

"About 400 yards from the school there was a large pond and the Headmaster felt that if he couldn't get us away from the pond he would get us to learn to swim. I didn't realise at the time what a good Headmaster he was!"

Dr Pook learnt to swim at the nearby Maindee Swimming Club in Newport and continues to swim on a regular basis.

He said he was very touched to receive the Royal Life Saving Society UK's commendation certificate which was presented to him by Mrs Glenys Jones, President of the East Wales Branch, at his home in Raglan on Friday.