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The twins that Simon Richards rescued from the river, with their grandmother Ann Smith. DB4080P2

A HERO who pulled two little girls out of the River Avon after their buggy plunged into the water has been unmasked as a teacher from Trafalgar School in Downton.

As reported on the front of this week's Salisbury Journal, two-year-old twins Scarlett and Paige Harrison, were in their buggy feeding the ducks at the riverside when it overbalanced, flinging them and their grandmother, Ann Smith, 56, into the water.

They were saved by the actions of quick-thinking passers-by, but Mrs Smith was too shaken up to ask their names before they left the family to the care of paramedics.

Simon Richards, 27, who teaches French at the school, was the first to rush to help and kept the little girls' heads above water until another passer-by helped him haul the buggy out, with the girls still strapped in.

The modest teacher had managed to keep events largely under wraps until the Harrison family came forward to appeal for help in finding their rescuers and his proud colleagues called the Journal newsroom.

He said: "I saw the lady with the children in the buggy as I was walking past, then I heard a splash and a scream and turned around to see the buggy just disappearing into the water. I didn't really think about it, just ran over to them."

Mr Richards, a keen cyclist and swimmer who was due to compete in the New Forest Triathlon the following day, ran to river's edge and managed to brace himself against the bank with one hand and grab the buggy with the other.

Another man then rushed to help and together the pair managed to get the toddlers on to dry land.

"It was really lucky the girls had been strapped in," he said.

"If they hadn't been they could have floated out of the buggy and then we could have been talking about a very different situation.

"It was lucky people were walking past. I'm in training for an iron man competition in September and I'm not the slightest of people but I couldn't physically pull that buggy out by myself. I'm just glad the little girls are ok."

Both the youngsters emerged completely unscathed, although Mrs Smith was left very shaken up.

Speaking after the incident she said: "It was a nightmare. I keep going over it and thinking about what could have happened. I'm just so grateful to those people for helping us."

4:17pm Thursday 15th May 2008

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