THE SEARCH is on for a Winchester man who saved a 9-year-old boy from drowning almost 20 years ago.

A mystery man known only as Chris rescued Owen Chambers from a deadly rip tide in Australia in 1995.

Now dozens of locals are tracking him down so Owen’s mother, Melanie, can thank him personally for saving her son’s life.

The Chambers’ summer holiday almost ended in tragedy 19 years ago when Owen was caught in the rip tide in Bondi Beach, Sydney.

Chris, who was working in a laundrette in Bondi at the time, rushed to the boy’s rescue but left before Melanie could thank him. Owen’s sister, Holly, recorded his name, hometown and occupation in a diary she was writing for school.

The Winchester native’s whereabouts since the rescue are unknown.

Melanie Chambers, who recently moved to London from West Yorkshire, wrote to BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Live for its weekly spot where listeners can express their gratitude for good deeds that went without thanks at the time.

More than 60 well-wishers including Winchester MP Steve Brine have shared the story on social media in the hope that it will reach Chris’s friends or relatives in Hampshire.

Owen Chambers, now 28, is set to become a doctor after his training in Liverpool and credits the mystery man with saving his life.