Prince William Once Tried To Save A Drowning Teenager, Boy’s Mother Calls Him A ‘Hero’

Prince William once tried, and unfortunately failed, to save a drowning teenager during his time as an air ambulance pilot, the Mirror is reporting. And although the rescue attempt was, unfortunately, a failure, the grieving mother has nothing but praise for the future king.

Prince William’s job these days is being Prince William. That’s not to say that it’s an easy or cushy job, of course. His schedule is jam-packed; he has to walk an extremely fine line between being dignified and royal while at the same time appearing compassionate and accessible. And that’s to say nothing of the immense pressure on his shoulders, the pressure of carrying the thousand-year tradition of the British monarchy.

But as recently as a year or so ago, William also had an actual, nine-to-five job (well, those weren’t his work hours, but you get the point). Using his British Army training, Wills continued his career as a helicopter ambulance team member, only this time saving civilians in London rather than troops on the ground in war zones.

Back in May, says Sarah Lea, her 16-year-old son Robbie had gone swimming at a lake near their home. Unfortunately, the conditions were too difficult for the young man, and he drowned in the lake.

Important water safety messages to schools given @LeeValleyWWC today in memory of Robbie Lea, an initiative led by his mum Sarah and supported by @RNLI, @HertsPolice, @HFRS. #RememberRobbie pic.twitter.com/j9e09xWmUx

— Chief Constable (@cchertspolice) February 20, 2018

Unbeknownst to Sarah at the time, one of the members of East Anglia Ambulance Company crew dispatched to the scene that day was none other than the future king of England himself, Prince William. Sarah says she later found out about it when a friend told her, “A Prince tried to save your prince.”

“I can’t thank Prince William enough. For what he did to try to save my son on that terrible day and for now speaking out on mental health issues. It shows our future king is human. It was a brave thing to do.”

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the Duke of Cambridge has been speaking lately about the need for an open and honest discussion about mental health. And in fact, he referenced his own career as an ambulance technician, and the trauma he’s seen, as taking a toll on his own mental health.

“I worked on several traumatic jobs involving children and after I had my own I think the ­relation between the job and my personal life is what took me over the edge. I started feeling things I’ve never felt before and I got very sad and very down about this particular family.”

Sarah, for her part, says the British mental health system has let her and her family down as well. She has since channeled her grief by setting up a water safety program, the Robbie Lea Water Safety ­Partnership, in his memory.