A PLUCKY ten-year-old boy from Barnt Green has been hailed as a hero after he jumped on his dad's jet-ski to save a family. Matthew Dyson, who rescued a family from the sea

Matthew Dyson, a pupil at Bromsgrove Lower School, was enjoying a day at Abererch Beach, near Pwllheli, north Wales, when he spotted an inflatable powerboat spinning out of control.

When he saw life-jackets bobbing in the water he realised people were in trouble and raced to the rescue on the £7,000 machine.

He sped towards the trouble spot and grabbed a woman and her teenage daughter from the waves but the drama continued when the jet-ski toppled over.

The brave youngster kept his cool, put the bike the right way up and carried the pair to safety.

Then his dad, Mike, raced out to rescue the remaining man from the sea.

Matthew, who until then had only been a passenger on the jet-ski, said: "I was nearer to the jet-ski than my dad so I just jumped on it without thinking.

"I had watched my dad ride it so I knew what to do.

"The family I rescued are from Derby and they said thank you to me.

"Everyone is treating me like a hero.

"I just did what anyone else would have done."

Matthew, of Plymouth Road, who celebrates his 11th birthday next week, was on a two-week holiday with his dad, mum, Sue, 15-year-old brother Thomas and two-year-old sister Lydia when the incident happened last Friday afternoon.

His dad said: "We are very proud of him but he frightened me to death.

"We always knew he had an old head on young shoulders."

An in-shore RNLI crew had to wait until the inflatable boat had run out of fuel before it could tow it back because it was spinning furiously.

North Wales RNLI secretary Owen Roberts said: "By the time the coastguard had called for help the family were on the shore.

"It was very irresponsible and dangerous of Matthew to jump on the jet-ski, but he pulled the family out of danger and we all have smiling faces.

"It could have been a very different story though."