'Learn to swim!' Girl's message after saving grandad from drowning in Stanley swimming pool

Popsie Simmons dragged her grandad Ken to safety when he got into difficulty in the water at Stanley swimming pool. Credit: Family

An eight-year-girl is urging other youngsters to learn how to swim after saving her grandad from drowning.

Popsie Simmons, who started learning to swim when she was eight weeks old, noticed her grandfather was in distress in the water at the swimming pool in Stanley, County Durham, and instinctively dragged him to safety- all before a lifeguard had time to step in.

Her grandad Ken, who had recently suffered a stroke, got into difficulty in the water when his arms began to feel weak but was saved by Popsie's quick actions.

"We wanted to go to the deep end and grandad went into the middle because he thought it was fine but he just started going down," Popsie told Good Morning Britain.

"I was really scared and just wanted to keep him safe so I just dragged him to the side and made sure he was alright."

Popsie has been swimming since she was eight weeks old. Credit: Family

Mr Simmons said that Popsie's actions made the lifeguard's actions easy and he could just simply help him out from the side of the pool.

"My arms were getting weak and I could feel I was going down," he explained. "Then I swallowed water and I thought I have a little bit of a problem here. I wasn't panicking but I was getting there.

"But then this little arm got a hold of me and pulled me to the side.

"That gave me the confidence to try and get back. The lifeguard was ready to jump in but just pulled me out of the water from the side."

Popsie is calling on others to learn how to swim so they too will be able to save lives.

"You have to have swimming lessons," she said. "Imagine you or somebody else is in danger, you can either save yourself or save somebody else's life."

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