EXCLUSIVE

Grinning from ear to ear, little James Iles is a picture of health after cheating death when he fell into a garden pond.

The Strood toddler suffered a cardiac arrest and stopped breathing when he tumbled into the water at his grandmother's home.

She found 16-month-old James floating face-down in the pond after being submerged for at least five minutes.

Miraculously the tot, of Hawthorn Road, has made a full recovery after the accident, reported in the Messenger a fortnight ago.

His 29-year-old mum Tina, who herself works in the A&E department at Medway Maritime Hospital, said: "It's an absolute miracle. For the first few days after the accident James was pretty doddery and not himself, but now he's fine and has bags of energy again.

"He's back to the James we know and love - a real cheeky monkey. But we'll be keeping an extra close eye on him from now on."

Pick up a copy of Friday's Medway Messenger for the full story.