TWO men who tried to save a man after his car plunged into a river near Earith are to receive Royal Humane Society awards.

Roy Phillips and David Fogg were among those who attempted to rescue and revive Graham Gillson following the crash on the B1050 Shelfords Road on Saturday, November 24 last year.

Mr Phillips, 57, from Over, went into the water and pulled Mr Gillson onto the bank where Mr Fogg, 66, of Frogs Hall, Bluntisham, carried out CPR.

Sadly Mr Gillson, 70, of Cranfield Place, Somersham, died on the way to hospital.

Speaking to The Hunts Post after the tragedy, Mr Fogg, a retired lecturer in nursing, said he had felt obliged to help.

“It was a very dangerous situation,” he said. “I wasn’t brave, I just did what I thought was right.”

The pair’s actions won praise from Dick Wilkinson, secretary of the Royal Humane Society, who said: “Although the driver did not survive, these two gave him the best possible chance of survival. They both richly deserve the awards they are to receive.”

Mr Wilkinson said it had been dark, raining and close to freezing when the car went into the river. “The driver went into the water but was taken downstream,” he continued. “Mr Phillips was among a number of people who stopped and he got a tow rope from his car, tied it round his waist and gave the other end to a bystander. He then went into the river to try to reach the driver. The car had by this time sunk up to its roof.

“He eventually found the driver around four metres from the car. He managed to get him to the bank and then, not knowing whether there were others in the car, he went back to and checked.”

Mr Phillips is to be presented with a Royal Humane Society testimonial, while Mr Fogg is to receive a resuscitation certificate.