HEROIC brothers who saved a woman from drowning after she had an asthma attack while swimming in the sea have met Prime Minister Tony Blair.Daniel and Jason Rodd, from Ipswich, were at Downing Street yesterday after being crowned under-16 winners in the annual Vodafone Lifesavers Awards.

HEROIC brothers who saved a woman from drowning after she had an asthma attack while swimming in the sea have met Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Daniel and Jason Rodd, from Ipswich, were at Downing Street yesterday after being crowned under-16 winners in the annual Vodafone Lifesavers Awards.

The duo have already received recognition from the Royal Humane Society for their bravery and received their latest honour on Wednesday night at a ceremony in London.

During the evening they were also reunited with the people they saved - Stephen Rice, his sister Jacki Flint and her husband Michael, from West Mersea in Essex.

Yesterday morning they were whisked to a special reception at Number 10 to meet Mr Blair who praised them for their courage.

Daniel, speaking on his way back from London, said: “The Prime Minister was very polite and asked us what happened, how we coped with it and how we felt when we did it.

“On Tuesday we were given our award which was a bit nerve-wracking. We didn't have a video showing what we did so we had to go up and speak to the audience.

“There were around 200 people there so we were quite nervous when we first went up on stage but we soon settled down and it was alright.”

Daniel and Jason were aged 14 and 12 at the time of the rescue, which happened on a family day out in Southwold last September.

While playing on the beach the brothers spotted that Mrs Flint seemed to be in some difficulty quite a way out to sea.

A crowd began to form before her brother swam out but he got into trouble with the swirling currents and the boys asked their mum if they could lend a hand.

Mr Flint then ran into the sea to try and help but he too got into difficulties and the brothers then felt they were left with little choice.

Armed with bodyboards the boys waded into the sea and swam to the stranded swimmers, eventually helping them to shore.

Speaking earlier this year Jason, who goes to Ipswich School, said: “Daniel and I managed to pull them in using the boards. It was really tiring because the current was pulling us away from the beach.”

It was only when they reached the shore that Daniel and Jason, now aged 15 and 13, realised Mrs Flint had suffered an asthma attack while she was swimming.

“It was one of those times when I knew I had to do something. Fear didn't cross my mind at all,” Jason added.

craig.robinson@eadt.co.uk