A crew member onboard a passenger ferry jumped into Portsmouth harbour's freezing water to rescue a man who was drowning. At about 11:00 pm on Saturday, February 3, the St Clare ferry crew spotted a man in the water near to their ship, berthed close to Gunwharf car ferry terminal.
The crew on ferry's car deck tossed a life ring to the man, who struggled to reach it, prompting officer Steve Chamberlain to jump in.
Former Royal Navy serviceman, Chamberlain, who has worked for Wightlink ferry company for twenty years, said he had just acted instinctively when we had seen the man had not able to get into the floating device.
The man was taken to pontoon in Broad Street, Old Portsmouth. Paramedics were waiting there to take him to hospital. The man was conscious but had hypothermia.
Steve Chamberlain was also checked-up in hospital, but was later released.