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Brendan Woodhouse, a firefighter from Durham, who volunteered to help save refugees arriving on the shores of Europe, has described how he risked his own life to save a baby girl from drowning.

Brendan was on lookout duty at Korakas lighthouse, when he saw a refugee hit rocks, burst and capsize, flipping all 35 people in to the sea, 30m from the shore.

Reading from the diary he kept of the rescue, Brendan described to 5 live the moment he found a 5-month-old baby floating without a life jacket:

"I came across a capsized boat and people clinging onto it for their lives, begging me for help. I decided that they stood a better chance, and looked to my right. I could see where the mother was who was screaming. She was facing out to see, helpless in a life jacket, she shouted to me, pointing out to sea.

Maybe another 15 metres away, I could see a little black dot bobbing up and down in the water, I swam as fast as I could, knowing that I was putting my life in danger as I’m not the greatest of swimmers.

The little black dot was between 60 and 70 metres from the shore. Eventually I reached it. A five-month-old baby girl wrapped in a blanket face down in the water, no life jacket at all.

I swam backstroke, with her on my chest, facing the stars. I kicked with my legs as fast as I could. With my left arm I paddled and with my right arm, I pressed up and down on her chest as I swam.

I swam past people screaming for help. I swam past children lost at sea. I swam with everything I had and more. I prayed to a God that I never speak to, begging for her life.

Eventually, I reached down with my feet and my foot touched a rock. I balanced as best as I could and went to give her 5 rescue breaths. After the second breath, she sicked up the water from inside her lungs and started to cry. It was the most beautiful sound in the world, for I knew that I had breathed life back into her".

This clip was originally broadcast on 5 live Daily on Tuesday 19 January 2016

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