A TEENAGER who has rescued 108 people from the Solent so far this year has been nominated for a special award.

Matthew Dann, 18, a voluntary senior coxswain for Venturers Search & Rescue, has been put forward for the first Flybe Local Heroes Awards to get a cash boost so he can teach children lifesaving skills.

Philip Pearce- Smith, who heads the organisation which is dedicated to helping people and animals in danger or distress by land or sea, has described the Dibden Purlieu resident as “a true hero” and believes Matthew deserves a chunk of the £21,000 funding.

The Flybe Local Heroes Awards are open to charities, educational groups and sports enthusiasts in the Southampton region and people can either nominate themselves or others.

Flybe will award each winner in the three categories: Flybe Sport in the Community, Flybe Charity in the Community and Flybe Education in the Community, a £7,000 bursary made up of £3,000 in cash and a travel bursary of £4,000 to be used on the Flybe network.

Mr Pearce-Smith, said: “Hero is a much misused word but what can you call a coxswain who has made such a huge amount of rescues.

“This year he became an ambulance first responder and on Christmas Day he had four call outs and his dinner got cold.

“He has shown that given training, tools, opportunity and trust there is nothing wrong with British youth.”

The coxswain is a qualified powerboat and RIB master instructor and teaches rescue techniques to younger cadets.

If Matthew, who works as a loader at Nursling Industrial Estate, won the money he would spend it on giving 12 to 18-year-olds the chance to become the next generation of lifeboat crew.

The deadline has been extended to next Monday and people are being urged to send their nominations which will be judged by football legend Matt Le Tissier, Flybe head of marketing Ian Taylor and Daily Echo editor Ian Murray.

For more details on the categories go to dailyecho.co.uk/flybe.