Water rescue hero revealed

Sam Dyer, who works at the National History Museum, was to the first to react when a young girl cycling along the path, stumbled, and fell into the water.

Sam, 28, says he was visiting the pond with a colleague when he heard a splash and saw a child barely keeping her head above the water.

Without a moments hesitation he dived into the pond to bring her ashore.

He said: “Being aware that ponds can be dangerous for anyone let alone four-year-olds my immediate thought process was to get the girl out so I jumped in.”

“I am just relieved everything turned out okay and amazed at how quick it all happened.”

On diving in Sam realised that the pond was far deeper than he had first thought.

He said: “By this point the girl was thrashing about, crying and in a great amount of distress.

“I picked her up and waded back to the bank where I was able to pass her to safety.”

But Sam didn’t stop there as he dived into the pond two more times - once to retrieve her bike, and a second time to get her shoes.

The former policeman was applauded by witnesses to the incident.

He said: “Most had come closer and gave complimentary comments, someone shook my hand, some clapped.

“My feeling at the time were largely embarrassment as I’m not one for putting myself at the centre of attention, I was just glad she was okay.”

Sam then walked back to work through Tring town centre in his wet clothes.

He says the response from friends, family and colleagues has been “overwhelmingly” positive.

The young girl herself brought her hero a homemade card to his work.

He said: “Unfortunately I missed her due to shifts but I’d very much like to thank her.”

Sam says the real heroes are in the emergency services and that he simply reacted to the situation.

He added: “I personally don’t consider myself one, I reacted like anyone would when witnessing an incident where you have the capability to help, you provide assistance and then carry on with the day.

“That’s not heroic, it’s being human.”