A teenage girl has been saved from drowning after she ran into trouble while swimming in a river in the NSW Upper Hunter region.
The 15-year-old was "pinned underwater" after her foot became stuck in wooden debris, Fire and Rescue NSW said.
"The teen was in imminent danger of drowning, her face was bobbing in and out of the water," FRNSW captain Amon Burkill said.
"If not for the quick actions of those firefighters entering the river, I'm in no doubt it would have ended tragically."
A multi-agency rescue operation was launched just before midday after reports three children, including the 15-year-old, were in difficulty in the Hunter River, at the town of Denman.
Rescuers were able to find and rescue two children who had clambered onto a log.
The 15-year-old was found another 300 metres downstream, with her foot trapped in timber debris.
"She was pinned underwater, struggling to breathe," FRNSW said in a statement.
After quickly forming a plan to free the girl from the river, a firefighter entered the water and was able to untangle her foot from the debris.
A second FRNSW rescuer fitted her with a flotation harness.
The three children were later taken to safety by an SES team.
The girl has since been taken to hospital for assessment.
