Sunderland star Duncan Watmore has helped saved the lives of three people while on holiday, according to The Sun.

Watmore was given permission by Sunderland manager David Moyes to head away on holiday last month in order to help him step up his rehabilitation from a season-ending knee injury and the young striker has been spending his time in Barbados recently.

It has now emerged that Watmore turned real-life hero during his holiday as he rescued three elderly holidaymakers from the water after their speedboat was thrown overboard by an on-rushing catamaran.

One of the rescued trio explained the incident and Watmore's role saying: "It was scary, life or death. I'm lucky not to be coming back in a box.

"Duncan helped everybody to get on to the boat — he couldn't have been nicer.

"The catamaran was travelling at speed. We assumed it would see us and change course, but it then got closer.

"The next thing we knew it had ploughed straight through the boat. It broke the boat in half. Everyone was sent flying into the water."