A YOUNG mum had the shock of a lifetime last week after her four-year-old son fell into the canal.

Holding hands with her son Jack along a stretch of the Bridgewater canal, Becky Waterton answered a phone call from her dad as the pair walked home after one of Jack's first days of school.

Loosening her grip for a brief moment, the next sound Becky heard was a splash and all she could see was Jack's cap floating in the water.

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Leigh Journal: Jack fell into a stretch of the canal after one of his first days in schoolJack fell into a stretch of the canal after one of his first days in school (Image: Uy Hoang/ Google Maps)

Without hesitation, the 31-year-old mum-of-one dived into the canal to save her young son and held him up above the water. 

With low water levels along the stretch of canal, the situation became quite panicked for Becky as the pair struggled to get out of the water.

It wasn't until a cyclist rode past that Jack was able to be pushed up to safety, while another two cyclists came to give further assistance and worked together to pull Becky up to the path.

Leigh Journal: Jack recovered well after being calmed down by the cyclistJack recovered well after being calmed down by the cyclist (Image: Becky Waterton)

Becky, 31, said: "Everything went so quickly. One minute I was holding hands with Jack and after I let go to answer the phone I heard a splash and saw his cap floating on the surface.

"It was the most stressful thing I've ever experienced in my life because I started panicking about what was in the canal and I couldn't get either of us out of the water.

"The first cyclist came and pulled Jack out straight away and calmed him down as he tried to pull me up. Another two cyclists came to help and got me up to safety too."

After the traumatic episode, Becky took to social media to express her "deepest gratitude" to the cyclists who helped her and Jack to safety.

One of the cyclists was revealed to be David Hindley, although Becky is unsure of the identities of the other two men.

More than a thousand people reacted to Becky's post, with dozens of comments praising the men for their quick and selfless efforts.

Some left comments saying that the cyclists are "true heroes", while others said this shows there are "many good people still in this world".

Another left a comment saying this is "Pride of Britain" behaviour, while another said that not "all heroes wear capes".