By Mark McLaughlin
Edinburgh Evening News
March 11, 2008
A BUSINESSMAN today told how he jumped into the Union Canal and pulled a man to safety.
Jon Clemence, 34, who is behind Edinburgh's Wannaburger restaurants, was passing the canal at around midnight on Saturday when he spotted the man floating in the water near the Harrison Road crossing.
Mr Clemence, who also owns The Caley Sample Room nearby and the city's Cambridge Bar in Young Street, jumped in to save the man.
The 55-year-old, who was pulled out of the water wearing a suit and raincoat and still clutching his mobile phone, was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary suffering from suspected hypothermia.
Mr Clemence, who had been returning home after a curry with friends, said: "It was midnight so the canal was dark and very cold, but in a situation like that you don't have much choice.
"My friends and I had been to Roti on Morrison Street for a meal, and decided to walk home to my place in Shandon. We heard this groaning coming from the water and shouted down to see if anyone responded.
"We heard another noise and it was definitely human, and we could just about make out this shadow, then everything went quiet and the shadow disappeared so we were worried he had gone under.
"The canal is pretty deep so I had to swim out to get him, but he was fairly buoyant and he didn't struggle so I was able to get him to the banks fairly easily."
Mr Clemence has no formal lifesaving training and describes himself as a moderately good swimmer. He added: "I just did what anyone else would do. You don't think about the cold when someone is in danger, and I guess your instinct just takes over."
A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service called it "a very brave act".
He said: "When we arrived the patient was already out of the canal. He was conscious and breathing."
It is not known how long the man had been in the water or how he came to be there.
Mr Clemence contacted police later on that day when he found a set of keys near where he rescued the man.
He was told that the man was in hospital suffering from hypothermia.
Jim Dorman, training manager at St Andrew's First Aid, also praised Mr Clemence's rescue.
He said: "Obviously jumping into dark and cold water is extremely dangerous.
"He could have been overcome by a strong current, hit by floating debris or pulled down by reeds at the bottom of the water.
"There is also the risk of hypothermia at this time of year.
"Without any formal training it could have cost him his life, so he was incredibly brave to have jumped in to assist the man."
The man was said to be making a good recovery.
No comments:
Post a Comment