Vote for your heroes

Their selfless actions have all made a dramatic difference to someone's life.

By putting another person before themselves, and in some cases risking their own life, they are some of the unsung heroes of Sussex.

Paramedic Mike Crockford plucked a drowning girl from the sea, police officer James Williamson pulled a pensioner from his blazing flat and war hero Doug Drake dedicated 17 years of his life to looking after his sick wife Mary. Here are their stories:

As waves broke over the helicopter's skids, Mike Crockford hung precariously from his harness to grab the drowning child.

Little Amber Finch-Sortain was seconds from death when Mike pulled her from the sea off Shoreham Beach in February.

Mike, 32, stood on the Sussex Police helicopter landing skids as it hovered just inches above the water to rescue the four-year-old.

She had been playing on rocks when she fell, banged her head and plunged into the water.

Amber was found by the helicopter crew floating motionless, face-up under the water, about 30 metres from shore.

Amber's grandmother Jennifer Finch-Sortain said: "It was a marvellous rescue and the paramedic and the others are heroes."

Mr Crockford, of Burgess Hill, said: "We decided straight away we had to attempt a rescue because she was submerged and I already had my lifejacket on.

"We didn't know if she was alive or dead, but when we got her on board she started moving and crying."

Dr Priscilla Noble-Matthews, who was on the helicopter during the rescue, said: "The way he managed to grab the child was fantastic. If it hadn't been for him the child would certainly have died."

But father-of-two Mr Crockford, who has been a paramedic for six years, said: "I couldn't have done it without the pilot, John Sutherland, and the rest of the team. I'm not a hero at all."

When PC James Williamson spotted smoke billowing from a letter box he knew there was no time to spare.

The 29-year-old officer forced open the door of the flat in Furnace Green, Crawley, and rescued an unconscious pensioner.

Fire and ambulance crews who arrived minutes later said PC Williamson had undoubtedly saved the 68-year-old man's life.

The officer said: "I got to the flat and immediately smelled smoke, looked in the letter box, saw smoke filling the hall and forced entry.

"I went to the back bedroom, opened the door and was met by a thick wall of smoke. I believe it was caused by a mattress catching fire in the bedroom.

"The man was unconscious on the floor, face down, and I pulled him out. I think he'd been there quite a few minutes.

"The effect of the smoke was quite overwhelming for me as well. Afterwards it suddenly hit home just what had happened but I'm just glad he didn't take a turn for the worse."

PC Williamson has been a police officer for four years. He added: "I wouldn't consider myself to be a hero, just a member of Sussex Police who was doing his job. I think I did what any other Sussex Police officer would have done."

For seventeen years, Doug Drake devoted every minute of his time to his wife Mary.

Struck by Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and a stroke, Mary was left physically and mentally incapacitated.

At their home in Crown Road, Portslade, Doug provided round-the-clock care, tending to Mary's every need.

He also talked and joked with his wife, asking her if she loved him and reliving memories of when they lived in Australia.

Doug, 79, also found time to write a book campaigning for carers' rights called A Carer in Limbo.

He refused to put his beloved wife in a nursing home, although she could not speak, stand or feed herself and was doubly incontinent.

Doug said: "There are people who abandon their loved ones because it's too difficult to handle.

"Nursing homes are full of cases like that. And there are ones that do care but honestly can't cope. It is a very tough thing for someone to cope with."

The couple met just after the Second World War. Mary, who sadly died in February, was a former nurse and Doug is a former RAF pilot and war hero who has been decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross and Distinguished Flying Medal.

Doug said: "I'm a survivor. I'm very battle-scarred. It's being able to survive those scars."

Despite trying to deal with his wife's death Doug is still fighting on behalf of other carers.

He said: "I'm doing this for the cause, not the glory. I promised Mary that I would fight for all carers."

Argus readers can now nominate their own hero for a chance of winning the Jeff Tooley Annual Award.

The only criteria for a nomination is the person must live in Sussex and their heroic act must have been carried out during the past 12 months.

A voting panel will include Argus editor Simon Bradshaw, the Tooley family and a senior police officer.

The winner will be presented with a plaque and scroll.