THREE volunteer rescuers from south Cumbria have been hailed as flood heroes and are set to visit Downing Street next week as part of a special celebration. 

Three members of the Bay Search and Rescue, based in Flookburgh, are among the emergency workers invited to Downing Street on Monday to be personally thanked by prime minister, David Cameron. 

Gary Parson, founder and station officer of the voluntary organisation, received the invitation and said he was "as proud as punch" to be recognised. 

Mr Parson will be accompanied by two of his colleagues: his deputy, Paul Calland, who was on bronze command in Kendal during Storm Desmond, and Steven Fell, whose good seamanship allowed him to lead an expedition to restore fresh water to thousands of homes in Patterdale.

Mr Fell was asked to take United Utilities engineers into the flooded area around Ullswater to repair the fresh water pumping station through woods in the pitch black dark night.

As a result of the operation, fresh water was restored to 300 homes which had been without this vital resource for two days.

During the floods, Mr Fell was navigating a new American Air Boat, piloted by Parson, which was the first vessel of its kind in the country. 

The organisation now operates a fleet of six vehicles which is worth a total of £500,000. 

Bay Search and Rescue began operating in 2001 and now has 120 volunteers, of which just 20 of them are trained rescuers. 

It was prompted into formation by an incident in 1996 which saw a man trapped in the sands near Silverdale who was rescued just in the nick of time. 

As the go-to organisation for local authority fire and rescue services needing specialist support, it is crucial for the Bay Search and Rescue to get the right equipment it needs. 

Mr Parson, an anaesthetics practitioner at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, is delighted that his team has been recognised and will be proud to visit Downing Street next week. 

He said: “As an organisation we provide an instant service to the public, completely without charge.

“We take great pride in the work we do and what we achieve. As founding member and commanding officer, it gives me great pride to be able to nominate two of the team for their outstanding conduct during what were very intense and demanding circumstances.”