LITTLE marvel Nora McManus-Chambers is being hailed a heroine after lifting a ride-on mower that was pinning a friend face-down in a stream.

In a scene reminiscent of a Superman film, Nora, who is just 4ft 10in tall, rushed to help Stephen Machin who had tumbled 12ft down a bank with the machine into a stream.

Ms McManus-Chambers, 55, didn’t hesitate in running to help him.

She jumped down into the culvert and mustered up enough strength to lift the mower off his back just enough to stop it forcing the air from his lungs.

She said: “I did what anybody would do really. I never actually thought about it I just went to help him and I would do it again.

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“He was hurt and I did what I could do, I couldn’t lift the whole tractor but it’s not until after where you think how did I manage to lift that? It’s the adrenaline that kicks in.

"The focus was to make sure he was OK because he was in a bad way.”

Mr Machin, who lives outside the village of Grosmont between Ross-on-Wye and Abergavenny, had broken several ribs in the accident, punctured a lung and broken his wrist.

He was in the brook for almost an hour on June 13 before the emergency services arrived to rescue him, but by that time his temperature had dropped to 34C and was hypothermic.

Mr Machin, 65, said: “The two paramedics were unbelievable and nursed me through what was a very, very difficult time. I was actually dying and they got me out of it. I was conscious of it but the emergency helicopter arrived and they checked me out with their modern equipment, they had two intensive care doctors.

“Then the fire brigade arrived. It was beyond me but I gather from Nora they were unbelievably kind and helpful.

“I wanted to pay tribute to the emergency service who got me out of this hole, and the staff, particularly the nursing staff on Monnow ward at Hereford hospital because they were unbelievably good.”

Mr Machin was in hospital for a week and said Ms McManus-Chambers, who he has known for five years and lives close by, also injured her shoulder during the rescue.

“Nora should get all the recognition she deserves,” he added.

“She’s still quite badly injured with her shoulder, but she deserves all she can in terms of recognition.

“I couldn’t have done without Nora, she saved my life.”