A NINE-YEAR-OLD boy was rescued by hero holidaymakers after remarkably surviving being trapped at the bottom of a pool for five minutes.

Tony Wilson desperately struggled to free himself after trapping his arm in an uncovered filter on holiday in Turkey.

But fellow holidaymakers somehow managed to pull him free just in time from the bottom of the 6ft deep pool before giving him the kiss of life.

"We thought we had lost him," said Tony's mother, Shirley, 32.

"Everyone around the pool thought he was dead. But this group of complete strangers rushed to help and brought him back from the dead. They are all heroes."

Rescuer Steven Alletson, of Rochdale, gave Tony, who comes from Whinside, in Stanley, County Durham, the kiss of life after seeing how it was done on BBC1's 999 show.

Teacher Steve Arnold, 26, of St Helens, Merseyside, dragg-ed Tony to safety after his father, Michael, could not free him.

Tony, who was on holiday at the Hotel Bagevleri, in the resort of Gumbet, with brothers Michael, 11, Stephen, eight, and sister Holly, seven, remembered the incident. He said: "I felt something tug my arm and thought it was my friend playing behind me.

"But before I could do anything my arm was sucked into this hole on the bottom of the pool.

"I looked up and saw my dad's legs above me because he was near the surface of the pool.

"I tried to grab his legs, but couldn't reach. I shouted for help, but nobody could hear. I was really scared. I thought I was going to die, but I can't remember much more because I blacked out."

His father said: "I pulled and pulled, but his left arm was up to his shoulder and would not shift. I came up and yelled that he was drowning. That's when people started to react."

Tony's parents had a picture of Tony taken with his rescuers for posterity.

They are now considering legal action over the filter. Mrs Wilson said: "The filter was covered up again after the accident, but this should never have happened."

Tour operator Direct Holidays has launched an investigation into the incident.