Drunken swimmer rescued from river
A DRUNKEN swimmer was rescued from Ipswich's River Orwell today after going for an early morning dip.Harwich Lifeboat and the Felixstowe and Holbrook Lifeguard were called with Suffolk police to the river at around 3.
A DRUNKEN swimmer was rescued from Ipswich's River Orwell today after going for an early morning dip.
Harwich Lifeboat and the Felixstowe and Holbrook Lifeguard were called with Suffolk police to the river at around 3.30am.
The man first resisted attempts by the lifeboat crew, police and a member of the public trying to help and managed to drift from the Princes Street bridge to Stoke Bridge before they caught up with him.
When the man was eventually taken to dry land by emergency crews he was suffering from suspected hypothermia and coughing due to the amount of water he had swallowed.
A couple sleeping in a home nearby were woken by the 22-year-old man making noises in the water. The woman called 999 while her husband went to the river to help.
The husband and the emergency services went to the Ranelagh Road side of the river to try to help the swimmer who spent around 30minutes escaping their rescue attempts.
Most Read
- 1 Severe delays on A14 and Orwell Bridge after wheel falls off ambulance
- 2 Lorry recovered after overturning on A14 roundabout at Felixstowe
- 3 Two hour delays on A14 after road closed near Felixstowe
- 4 5 businesses opening up in Ipswich soon
- 5 Taco Bell plans set to be approved
- 6 Driver taken to hospital after three-car crash on A12 near Ipswich
- 7 A14 slip road closed near Ipswich after BMW catches fire
- 8 Memorial match for colleague killed outside takeaway
- 9 'The food at this new Ipswich restaurant tastes amazing'
- 10 Suffolk cinemas at risk as Cineworld 'set to file for bankruptcy'
It is believed he may have been drunk.
Louise Rosher, a spokesman for Suffolk police said: “He went swimming for about 20 minutes and by the time we arrived he was flagging.
“He was deliberately avoiding officers trying to help and was being carried by the current down the river.
“He resisted several attempts to get him out.”
The man, of Gatacre Road off Bramford Road, was finally helped onto dry land at 4.40am and his parents were informed.
He was treated by ambulance crews who said he was not seriously hurt but was taken to Ipswich Hospital.
N Do you know the swimmer or the member of the public who tried to help him? Call The Evening Star newsroom on 01473 324788.
