'We rescued a dad from drowning on day out at river'

Perry Bruines took his son out of the water after the incident

Two men who helped to save a father's life when he got into difficulty at a beauty spot have warned of the dangers posed by open water.

Nathan Clarkson, 31, and Perry Bruines, 28, rescued a man at the River Wharfe at Bolton Abbey on Saturday afternoon, administering life-saving CPR after pulling him from the water.

The man is thought to have struggled after going to help his children, who had fallen in near the stepping stones at the estate in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The ambulance service confirmed that three people were taken to hospital.

Mr Clarkson said he wanted to raise awareness of "how dangerous it is swimming in natural bodies of water without knowing the area".

Nathan Clarkson had been visiting Bolton Abbey with his family

Both he and Mr Bruines had been in the water as temperatures soared when the incident took place shortly before 15:00 BST.

Mr Bruines, from Dewsbury, said he had been relaxing on a lilo when he heard "distressing screams".

He witnessed a young girl being pulled to safety before seeing a man disappear under the water.

Together with Mr Clarkson, he pulled the man out onto a bank before they noticed he was not breathing and began CPR.

"You don't expect to go out for a family day on a Saturday and be doing CPR," said Mr Clarkson, from Barnoldswick in Lancashire.

The father-of-two, who had taken his children to the popular bathing spot with his partner Ellen, said he had been told the casualties were now at home recovering.

"He can carry on being a dad, that's the main thing."

Despite being widely praised for their heroics, neither man said they were jumping for joy after the ordeal, which Mr Clarkson described as "grim".

"It wasn't like a pat-on-the-back feeling," said Mr Bruines, who had been visiting Bolton Abbey with his mother, brother and eight-year-old son.

"It shocked me. I didn't get back in the water after, I stayed out and got my son out.

"It just makes you realise how fatal it can be."

Mr Clarkson, a construction firm director, added: "It's a weird feeling.

"You would think I would be absolutely over the moon and wanting to tell everybody - it doesn't feel like that. It wasn't a nice experience."

He criticised some onlookers who took photos and videos of the rescue.

The River Wharfe at Bolton Abbey is a popular visitor destination on sunny days

Mr Clarkson and Mr Bruines did not know each other before Saturday, but the pair had since been in touch with each other to express their shock.

Mr Bruines called on swimmers to "be more cautious about your surroundings and how strong the water is".

"I want people to know the dangers of [the water at] Bolton Abbey because it's a dangerous place if you don't know where you are going," added Mr Clarkson.

"It's a dangerous part of the river. All that happened within a second.

"If I can get awareness out there, it may save another life."

The Bolton Abbey estate is owned by the Duke of Devonshire and parts of it are open to the public.

A spokesperson for the estate said they were "very pleased to hear that the family are recovering well after getting into difficulty" in the water and thanked members of the public for their quick reactions.

"The safety and wellbeing of our visitors is our number one priority, there is safety signage along the River Wharfe warning of the dangers of entering the river," they said.

"The beautiful landscape of Bolton Abbey is enjoyed by thousands every year, but care should always be taken near any open water."

In 2010, an eight-year-old boy died after disappearing in the river near Bolton Bridge and in 1998 a couple on their honeymoon died after entering the water during a walk.

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.