ONE of the first things that we did when we moved into our present home was fill in the pond in the back garden.

I have always been absolutely petrified of what might happen to any children we might have near water as you hear dreadful stories of the accidents that have befallen other families.

I think part of it also stems from a tragic incident I recall from my teens and which I have never been able to forget.

A friend’s boyfriend, who was then aged around 15, drowned in the sea in Donegal.

He could not swim and had only been paddling up to his knees when he was knocked over and swept out so swiftly that no one could save him.

That is why the importance of learning to be water confident, and to swim, will never diminish.

We had our first proper water scare with our daughter recently at her godfather’s birthday party.

The other half and I were right beside her, monitoring what she was up to as she played on some steps in the pool.

In what must have been a nano-second, but seemed like an age, she all of a sudden stepped into deeper water.

I took in the sight of her face under water and her outstretched hand, and a fear unlike anything I have ever felt before gripped me.

I started to make my way towards her, feeling that I was moving through treacle and that everything was happening unbearably slowly. But I was then instantly aware of a large splash, and the presence of her godfather – who’s a paramedic - in the water behind her.

He had jumped in, in his clothes, at his own 30th birthday without a second’s hesitation.

Tom grabbed her quickly, and pushed her in my direction. We were in shock, still processing the rapidity of the crisis, but our daughter merely laughed and stared at us as if wondering what we were all gasping and exclaiming about. And, as I began to try to calm down, I processed his impressive reaction.

One of his colleagues reminded me, when I was rebuking myself for my reaction time in comparison to his, that it is their job to swiftly process and then act in crisis situations.

Tom even had the presence of mind to remember to take his mobile phone out of his pocket and drop it on the grass before jumping in!

I have always known that Tom was the number one man for the job of godfather.

He’s one of our best friends, and is more present in our lives than much of our family.

I know how much our daughter means to him but this demonstration of his affection in action was pretty impressive.

We’re so grateful – and we owe him, that’s for sure.