Bravery awards are being considered after a woman and child were saved from the waters of a rushing culvert in Lantzville Sunday afternoon.

Russell Dyson, Lantzville Improvement District administrator, said they are looking at recommending awards after an off duty volunteer firefighter, Tom Whipps, and a young woman, Christina Wenner, saved the pair.

The incident began at about 3:45 p.m., said Monica Mathers.

She was with her friend Julie Brooks, from Sechelt, Nicola Houtman, the five-year-old daughter of another friend, and Mathers' five-year-old daughter as they made their way up Huddlestone Road from the beach.

"We just came up from the beach access and Nicola walked up to the culvert and Julie said ?don't go there,'" said Mathers. "Nicola just put the tip of her boot in and that was it, she went right in."

As the tot was swept away in the strong current, Mathers did her best to grab her.

But she also ended up in the culvert.

"I tried to grab her and I couldn't hold on," she said. "I fell in too and got pulled right under."

Mathers said she is over six feet tall and could not fight the current.

"It was so fast and so strong, it just whipped me over in a second and Julie too," she said.

Both women were helpless.

"She was trying to grab me," said Mathers. "But the water was too strong."

Mathers tried to grab the edge of the culvert while also trying to keep Nicola from being swept away.

"I had my arm under her, but I had to let her go."

She remained grabbing at the edge of the culvert as Nicola and Brooks were swept through it under the road. At that point a young woman who lives nearby, Wenner, came running over and Mathers told her to run downstream.

"She ran across the road and Julie had a grip on the other end of the culvert," said Mathers. "She caught Nicola coming right behind her."

As Wenner was grabbing Brooks and Nicola, Whipps stopped to help.

He and Wenner got the pair out, and Mathers managed to get out on her own.

"I was terrified," said Mathers. "I thought Nicola would drown or her and Julie would get stuck in the culvert."

Once out of the water everyone was well. Only Mathers' daughter was crying, fearing for her mother as she watched from the bank.

Wenner then took them to her parents' home nearby, where they were given hot chocolate, cookies and warm clothes. "We're very grateful for all the help," said Mathers.

Dyson said they have told the Ministry of Transportation and Highways about the incident, and ministry staff are considering necessary changes.

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