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A child who slipped through railings into the fast-flowing waters of the Thames near the Golden Hinde was rescued with “seconds to spare” by a hero bystander.

Mark Maloney, 37, was with colleagues at the The Old Thameside Inn on Bankside, when he was alerted by the mother’s screams for help.

Insurance worker Mr Maloney said it was only thanks to his training for Ironman contests and triathalons that he was able to keep his head above the fierce current and grab the four-year-old boy before he was swept away.

He told the Standard: “I just acted on instinct without thinking really. I do a lot of triathlons and lots of open swimming so I thought I could help.

“In the water I was panicking because I couldn’t see him, I was screaming up to my mates ‘where is he?’ And suddenly his head popped up in front of me.

“He was bobbing under and I didn’t think he would come back up again so I managed get hold of him.

“I was talking to him to reassure him. I asked him what his name was and telling him he was going to be okay, that we’re nearly there.

“He managed to tell me his name but was in total shock. It was a really tough current, I did a huge open water swim in Ironman competition in the summer but I was struggling to keep us both afloat.”

Mr Maloney’s manager Andrew Edwards, 45, was part of the group that tossed the struggling pair an emergency ring and pulled them back to safety.

He said: “It was the most heroic thing I have ever seen. We looked round and Mark was already taking his shoes off to go in. He was the only one who had the strength to do it, if I’d gone in I’d be dead.

“The kid was going under - you could just see the top of his head and hands as he was struggling to breathe. Seconds later and he would have gone.”

Mr Maloney, visiting London for work from Newcastle-under-Lyme, pulled himself back to the bank and climbed a ladder to hand the child back to his desperate mother, who was with two other children.

He said: “His mum was just crying, she was obviously in shock she could barely speak.

“When she realised I got him back over the railing she was trying her best to say thank you but she couldn’t get the words out.

“I was just so relieved to get the boy out and see he’s ok. It’s a sense of relief that I have never known before to give him back to his family just before Christmas.

“We’re staying in touch so I can hear how he recovers and I will be sending him a present too for being so brave.”

A pub worker said: “Someone came in and said quite casually said that a boy had fallen in to the river. There was a helicopter and ambulances everywhere it was happening so quickly. But the guy who jumped in did an amazing thing, he is a hero.”

Police said the boy was taken to hospital as a precaution after yesterday afternoon’s incident but has since been discharged.

A RNLI spokeswoman added: “It was a strong, ebbing tide which can be extremely dangerous.

“On route we were called through to say the person was clear of the water but medical assistance was required.

“We gave medical aid to a four-year-old boy who was reported to be fully conscious but wet and distressed.

“Both were handed over to paramedics for further medical assistance.”