Fire crews praise bravery of hero who 'risked his own safety' to save girl, 3, from submerged car

The commendation comes as the heroic couple reveal their faces for the first time.

Liam Stych and Tia Draper were out for a stroll on Green Lane, Hall Green, Birmingham, when they saw a car enter deep flood water during Tuesday's heavy rainfall.

The couple, both from Hall Green, didn't think twice before jumping into action to save the two occupants, with Liam dangling over the bridge to make the daring rescue with his five-month pregnant partner.

Now, the West Midlands Fire Service have commended the actions of the couple, also taking the time to express the immense danger that flood water can pose.

A spokesperson for West Midlands Fire Service said: "A crew from Highgate fire station responded to Green Road in Hall Green shortly before 4.25pm on Tuesday 2 January.

"They arrived to find that a woman and a child had already been rescued from a car by a member of the public, after their vehicle had got stuck in a fast-moving water beneath a bridge.

"It is clear that the man risked his own safety, and put others first. We hope that everyone involved is recovering from their ordeal. The incident could have had a very different ending, and highlights just how dangerous flood water can be."

The fire service said warned that flood water, fast flowing or not, should not be approached on foot or in a vehicle.

The spokesperson said: "Our advice is: keep out of flood water, whether you’re in a vehicle or on foot. Even if you think you think it’s safe – perhaps it’s a local ford you’ve driven through many times before – don't risk it.

"If you do get stranded, don’t try to get out of your vehicle in fast-flowing water. Call 999 and ask for the fire service. But, if you think you can leave your vehicle safely, do so very slowly and carefully.

Talking about the incident, Liam said: "We were going to go for a walk when we got stopped by flood water, I was in a big van but even I couldn't go through it.

"Next thing you know, this car has gone flying down into the water and was sort of drifting in the current. The current had practically just thrown her car into the bridge and it was just a matter of time.

"I heard her shout 'Help me please help me please save my child' and I just clicked, it all happened so fast."

With the help of a set of ratchet straps that Liam kept in his van to use in his work as a road engineer, he managed to tie the car to the bridge to stop it from moving any further.

Liam, a father-of-three continued: "It's just one of those things, it's the right place at the right time. I say this to everyone, if my partner wasn't there with me, it wouldn't have been a happy ending.

"I wouldn't have managed to get the little girl out. I grabbed her hand and managed to throw her over my head to my partner, who was actually pregnant. Someone definitely wanted us there."

Liam said he is now asking people to be more careful when approaching flowing water, asking drivers not to risk if it they aren't 100 per cent sure.

Liam continued: "I just wish now that the person driving thinks before entering water like that, she risked the lives of everyone, not just herself, think and don't take risks.

"If that happened and we weren't there, it would have ended in a fatality. It should be a warning. Think before you do something like this."