Girl, 7, is pulled from lake after car plunges in water

A seven-year-old girl was dragged from a lake last night after a car slipped into the water at Womersley, near Selby, North Yorkshire.

Andrew Jakeman, 32, a firefighter, plunged into the water to save the girl even though the gear he was wearing was not designed for diving. "I didn't really think about it," he said. "I had to make an attempt to save her. I just couldn't have stood by while her family were distraught by the side."

The girl, who was unconscious when found, was transferred at 7pm to Leeds General Infirmary where she was reported to be in a critical condition. The girl's mother and another woman were also in the car but had escaped. Clare Garner