A 71-year-old man clinging for his life to a marker buoy was rescued by members of the public on Friday afternoon.

The man had slipped while climbing from a dinghy into a yacht anchored near Neyland shortly before 2pm.

Local man, Simon Bolton, from Neyland was one of the first on the scene.

The pest control technician was at home when he heard somebody screaming for help. He went down to the sea front and saw a man clinging to a marker buoy. Two men were already at the scene and one was calling the emergency services.

“Hearing someone scream for help like that is one of the most horrible things you can hear,” said 35-year-old Simon. “We felt helpless. It’s a dangerous bit of water, there is a really strong current and if any of us had gone in we would have been in the same situation.”

The man’s dinghy had washed ashore and one of the onlookers went aboard. He steered out to the distressed pensioner, and managed to get him onboard. Simon and another man then waded out to the dinghy and helped carry the casualty up to the road.

They helped get the man out of his wet clothes. Simon took off his body warmer to wrap the casualty in and a woman from a nearby house provided blankets and duvets.

“He was so cold,” said Simon. “I have done first aid training but this was common sense really. The real hero was the man who went out in the boat.”

When the emergency services arrived Simon went to find the man’s son who had been waiting near Neyland yacht club. He had seen Angle lifeboat come into the haven but hadn’t realised it was his father who was being rescued.

“I was just one of those things where people felt helpless but you had to do something,” said Simon. “He was a lucky man that‘s for sure.”

The man was taken to Withybush Hospital by ambulance.

Were you involved in the rescue? Do you know the man who drove the dinghy in the rescue? If so call Becky Hotchin in the newsroom on 01437 761 750.