A FATHER-of-four has been hailed a hero after he dived into the sea to rescue a child fighting strong currents alongside the chain ferry at Studland.

Eleven-year-old Selena Gardner was swept some 300 yards along the coast at Shell Bay after paddling out with her bodyboard. She called for help to people on the beach, but says they ignored her.

Her board was swept under the ferry, and the terrified girl was left struggling to stay afloat alongside it when she was spotted by Trevor Agnew. The 39-year-old raced to her aid, scrambling over rocks and into the water, where the strong current almost took him as well.

He told the Daily Echo: “Swimming against it was like one stroke forwards, six back, it was that strong, but if the ferry had started I thought she would have gone under.”

Trevor, from Darlington, County Durham, managed to reach the terrified girl, and tried to help her climb the ladder on the side of the ferry, but she was too exhausted.

Instead, clinging to the ferry’s ropes, he heaved the both of them to safety on the ferry slipway.

Trevor said: “I think what goes around comes around. I have four children – imagine it could have been one of mine. Yes it was dangerous, definitely, but there was a little girl out there.”

The brave man said he didn’t feel like a hero – just “thankful to be out of the water”.

Crying and badly shaken up, Selena was reunited with her worried mum Sue and brothers. Sue from Southampton told the Echo: “If he hadn’t jumped in I hate to think what would have happened. I gave him a big hug and a kiss – he’s definitely our hero.”

She called for more safety signs to warn about the strong currents, adding: “There’s no signs up the beach where she went into the water.”

A spokesman for the National Trust said a beach audit was being undertaken by the RNLI looking at beach safety, including any additional safety measures and new signage.