A PASSERBY who was walking his dog at Freshwater Bay jumped into the sea to save the life of an elderly man — who was rescuing his dog from the water.

Peter Kelly leapt into action when he saw the man struggling against the tide as he battled to save his pet corgi, Candy.

Peter told the County Press: "I had dropped my wife off for work in Yarmouth and taken my dog for a walk at Fort Victoria. It was only because it was such a lovely day that I stopped off at the bay and put her on the lead again.

"I saw a couple walking their dog and the next time I looked over the gentleman was in the water after the dog fell off the sea wall."

Peter ran around and looked down at the eight foot drop.

"The gent was struggling up to his waist in water and trying to cling to the concrete, but the tide was sucking him out.

"I gave my dog to someone to hold onto and went down some steps and waded into help him. I had to shuffle around along the sea wall to get to him, which was quite a distance."

Peter managed to get hold of him and then grabbed the dog

"I was struggling a bit myself because both my hands were now full.

"I managed to get the dog up onto the shingles and then helped him to shuffle back to safety. It seemed like a long time but it was probably only a few minutes. It was all a bit iffy. I think he could well have died.

"I was told he had a heart condition and the water was freezing.

"Someone else came down to help us up and the dog was also grabbed to safety. By then, the co-responder was on hand. I just hope he is OK now."

Ambulance crew and Freshwater Fire Station co-responder were called to the scene and treated the patient before he was transported to hospital. The dog is also safe.

A spokesperson for Friends of Freshwater Fire Station said: "Although on this occasion this incident had a happy outcome, we would remind anyone enjoying the Island coastline and beaches to be aware of safety advice and what to do if they see anyone in distress in the water, by visiting the HM Coastguard website or on the RNLI website."