A MUM praised a quick-thinking youngster who saved her diabetic daughter from drowning in Weymouth.

Jacinda Dye, 12, pulled Amy McIntosh, 17, on to her bodyboard and brought her to shore when she began complaining of dizziness before disappearing under the water as they swam back from a raft at Greenhill.

Wey Valley Sports College pupil Jacinda, who lives in Brownlow Street, Weymouth, had been playing on the raft with Amy, who was visiting the town on holiday with her family.

Jacinda, who has not received life saving lessons, said: "We were coming back from the raft and she was struggling so I asked her if she was all right."

Amy, who has insulin dependent diabetes and suffers from Aspergers and ADHD, said she did not need help but started to disappear under the water.

Brilliant "When she kept going under I pulled her on to my bodyboard," added Jacinda who got Amy to shore before a member of the public went to call a lifeguard.

"She just kept saying I feel dizzy and I have a headache," said Jacinda who stayed with Amy while she was treated by ambulance crews on the beach.

Amy's mother, Kim Smith, who was with her family near the Pier Bandstand, said: "If she hadn't have done that I don't know what would have happened.

"I spoke to Jacinda. I just thought she had been brilliant."

The family, from Biggleswade in Bedfordshire, are regular visitors to Weymouth and were staying in Brunswick Terrace.

Mrs Smith said Amy had recovered from the incident and added: "We thought they were relatively safe in the sea, otherwise she wouldn't have been allowed to do it.

"It makes you think about how safe they are. It's quite choppy out there this year, I have never known it to be quite like this."

Jacinda's mother Karen Dye said she and her partner John Pearce - who run Alf's Fish and Chips at Fiveways, Weymouth - knew nothing of the rescue until Amy's family came round to thank them.

Mrs Dye said: "She had not said a word to me about it. I said you ought to be proud of yourself and she just said 'well someone had to do it'."

She added that Jacinda was a keen swimmer who practically 'lived down the beach' and went out swimming with lots of people she met there.