Boat owner Brian saves man swept away by tide

Aug 18 2008 by Sam Wood, The Journal

A HEROIC member of the public used his own boat to rescue a man who fell into the River Tyne and was washed a mile-and-a-half downstream by the tide.

Seb Fox, 27, of Newcastle, was pulled out the river yesterday morning by Brian Murphy after calling for help as he was being swept past St Peter’s Basin by the ebb tide.

It is believed Mr Fox fell into the river in the Quayside area at about 6.15am after a night out in Newcastle.

Half an hour later he had been carried down to St Peter’s Basin, where his cries for help alerted several members of the public.

The emergency services were called but by the time they arrived on the scene Mr Fox had been pulled from the water.

Mr Murphy, 39, who lives with his girlfriend Paula Salisbury, 37, at Church Hill Mews in St Peter’s Basin and keeps a boat in the marina, told The Journal how the rescue happened.

He said: “I had set my alarm for about 6.45am because we like to get out early to go wake-boarding.

“Ironically I had just woken up when I heard a faint cry of help.

“Everything went quiet for a bit but then I heard it again.

“It was very faint but I could tell it was coming from the river.

“Me and my girlfriend both went outside to have a look but I couldn’t see anything so Paula went outside to see.

“We kept hearing these shouts and thought there must be someone out there.

“So I got in my boat and headed out but still couldn’t see anything.

“I saw a policeman on the side of the quayside and he was pointing into the river so I followed where he was pointing and eventually saw a man in the water.

“I had to be careful not to hit him with the boat.

“He was so exhausted he didn’t even realise I was there until I was right next to him. He looked totally frightened and exhausted by the time I got to him, I don’t think he would have survived much longer.

“Fortunately the water isn’t too cold.

“It was a bit of a struggle to get him on board the boat but I managed to pull him in and take him ashore.

“I was just doing what I would hope anyone would do in that situation if I had fallen into the river.”

A spokesman for Northumbria Police said: “At 6.48am, a report was received that a man was in trouble in the River Tyne. Emergency Services were called by a member of the public.

“The man was taken to Newcastle General Hospital for a check- up.”

Mr Fox was released from hospital yesterday afternoon and was uninjured.