A HERO who dived into the River Severn to save a drowning man feared for his own life as he battled freezing water and strong currents.

Chris McAdam, a former pool attendant, of Stourport, struggled to keep the 20-year-old man's head above the water as he fought to reach the bank and his friends upstream.

Mr McAdam said: "It was just panic more than anything."

"I could see he was in real, real trouble. By the time I reached him he was almost lifeless.

"It was freezing. I was out of breath the moment I was in there. I was just trying to keep his head above the surface, but as I was doing that, I was going under myself."

Chris, 22, said he was forced to swim against the powerful current as the only suitable place to get out was at an old platform where his two friends were waiting.

The incident happened on Sunday, May 6 at 5.15pm as Chris and his friends were walking near Lickhill Manor Caravan Park, Stourport.

"I was slightly ahead of them when this couple shouted, 'can you swim?' I looked and saw this bloke in the water, actually drowning. I shook off my shoes and dived in." he added.

When he reached the man, he tried to push him up and find the bottom of the river with his feet but couldn't because it was too deep.

He said: "It didn't take that long, but it seemed for ever. The current was very strong and there was my weight, I'm 6ft 3ins, plus wet clothes, and his weight - he was 6ft 2ins and bigger than me, as well as his clothes.

"I have trained in a pool but it's very different in a river with a strong current with someone who's drowning on you."

He added part of the platform gave way as his friend, Nick Thompson, helped the man out. Another friend, Laura Darby, phoned for an ambulance.

A police spokeswoman said the 20-year-old from Stourbridge had fallen in the water.

She added police wanted to thank Mr McAdam for his act of "bravery and public spiritedness."