A little girl who 'could have drowned' when she fell in the Thames has been reunited with the man who rescued her, following an appeal on the Surrey Comet website.

Three-year-old Nahla Weeks, who cannot swim, lost control of her bicycle on the slope near the riverside pathway near Palace Road, Kingston, just after 4pm on Friday, May 12, and tumbled into the river.

Andrew Croggon, of Riverside Close in Kingston, pulled Nahla out of the water while out walking the dog for his neighbour, who is unable to do so because of reduced mobility.

Her nanny and two siblings watched as Andrew jumped in after her without hesitation, and dragged her out after she had spent about five seconds underwater.

He handed her back to her nanny, and two other passersby who had stopped to help, and went on his way.

He said: “She was very little and had gone in head first. I thought she might be able to pull my hand, but she might be so little and so panicked that actually the only way I was able to help was to jump in.

“I just thought I had to do it. I’m glad I was there and able to help. I didn’t really think about staying; I was soaking wet so went home. I could see she was being looked after.”

Nahla was then taken home to her parents, who live nearby and had spent the day in London celebrating her dad’s birthday, and they immediately took her to Kingston A&E.

She was checked over but thankfully had nothing wrong other than some cuts and bruises.

Yasmine Weeks, her mum, said: “It was shocking but initially we were just on autopilot. It was only later we realised that it could have had a very different ending. Had Andrew not been passing, she could have drowned.”

Yasmine swiftly found the two other people who helped Nahla, but took to social media to appeal for information.

She was contacted by a mother whose son drowned in the river in Kingston several years ago, which she said strengthened her resolve to find Andrew.

He was identified when his wife Janet contacted the Comet after reading an article online appealing for information, and his details were then passed on to Yasmine.

She said: “I was elated, and so so happy that you had found our superman. I rang my husband straight away who was equally as excited as me.

“We cannot wait to meet Andrew and thank him in person for saving our precious little girl. I'm sure Nahla will love to meet him and probably give him a big cuddle too.”

The group then met on Sunday (May 21).