Hero

A Royal Marine from Devon is being heralded a hero after saving his comrade from underneath a two-tonne truck in Afghanistan.

Colour Sgt Carl Tatton, 38, came to the rescue of Royal Marine Mark Farr, 29, who was trapped in a water-filled ditch underneath a Pinzgauer truck.

Colour Sgt Tatton raised the vehicle enough to allow Marine Farr to escape while under heavy mortar fire.

Marine Farr said: "Without Tatts I'd have drowned, I owe him my life."

Both men were serving with Plymouth based 42 Commando and were fighting the Taliban in southern Afghanistan when the incident happened in the Sangin Valley last November.

Colour Sgt Tatton said: "When you see one of your mates in danger you just react. He was pinned down about 3ft underwater and was seconds from drowning. I jumped in and tried to lift his head up but realised I'd have to lift up the truck. I grabbed the roll bar and lifted the suspension enough to release him."

Marine Farr has praised Colour Sgt Tatton for his superhuman strength in lifting the vehicle enough to free him.