FISHERMEN sprung into action and saved a man after hearing his cries for help in the Thames Estuary.

At 10.30pm last night, the crew of Fishing Vessel Abby Jane from Bell Wharf, Leigh, heard a man calling for help.

The crew took the vessel out into the estuary again and found a young male in the water on the far side of Leigh Creek.

Two crew members from the Abby Jane plunged into the water to help the person who was extremely cold and near drowning.

He was brought ashore by the Abby Jane and passed to the care of the Ambulance service at the Smack pub.

He was taken to hospital for treatment for hypothermia with a reported core temperature of 33 deg C.

A Thames Coastguard spokesman said: “Without the extremely timely intervention of the crew of the Abby Jane I think the outcome of this evening’s situation could have been very serious indeed.

"The water temperature at this time of year can be as low as 8-9 deg C and you loose heat 5 times quicker in water than in Air. You will loose the strength to swim very quickly in these conditions."