Drunk man saved

Published: Friday, 25 June 2010
A DRUNK man who had stumbled into the Worcester & Birmingham Canal at Selly Oak was saved by a paramedic.

It was only by going into the waterway and supporting the man for over half an hour until specialist equipment was brought that the man could be taken out.

Face down

The paramedic, Dennis Loughlin, who discovered the man face down in the water explained:

"Thankfully, he spluttered and started breathing again as soon as his mouth was clear of the water, but he was clearly intoxicated, very confused and just wanted to go to sleep.

"It really was instinctive. I knew that if I didn't go into the water, the man had no chance."

Because of the man's suspected injuries, he had to be placed on a specialist stretcher while still in the water before he could be moved.