Beer ‘saves’ drunken sea swimmer

Paramedics have said that a man who was rescued after jumping into the sea was “probably kept alive” by the amount of beer he had drunk.

Coastguards were called after two men stripped off and jumped into the chilly waters at Herne Bay in Kent. One of the men was saved when he was pulled in with a life ring, but the other man lost consciousness and started to float out with the tide.

Matt Stickels, coastguard deputy station manager, who dragged the second man to safety said: “They were so cold and had been in the water for about 45 minutes.

“I went in to get the second man because I didn’t know how long it would take for the lifeboat to arrive.

“He had had eight cans of beer. The paramedics said that it probably kept him alive because his body had slowed down so much that it might have helped him.”

He added: “If someone hadn’t thrown in the life rings then, in my experience, it would have ended in a fatality.”

The two men were treated at the time and were later taken to hospital in Margate with “non-life threatening injuries.”

Last week the British Red Cross said it was concerned after survey found that 50% of 18-24 year olds thought that having a drink would help prevent the body from feeling the cold.