A man is 'lucky to be alive' after fire crews found him clinging onto a pontoon at 5am in Bristol harbour.
Fire crews rescued a 60-year-old man in the early hours of this morning (Saturday, April 16) after he fell off his canoe.
Bedminster Fire Service has issued a warning after they rescued a further two people from the docks overnight, as well as a naked drunken man yesterday.
Also read: Bristol's houseboat community: What it's like living and working on the water
Posting on Twitter, the fire service said: "As well as our naked drunken Welshman yesterday evening, a further 2 people were rescued from the docks overnight.
"At 5am this morning, a 60 years old man was found clinging on to a pontoon after falling off his canoe, very lucky to be alive! #coldwaterkills #swifty."
A man was spotted swimming in the harbour while fire crews from Bedminster were out on a training mission on Good Friday. He was subsequently rescued from the water by their Green Watch team.
As BristolLive reports, swimming in any part of Bristol Harbour is banned unless the Harbour Master has given consent, according to the Bristol City Council website.
Swimming in cold water can be particularly dangerous when intoxicated because alcohol causes the blood vessels to dilate, so there's a lot more heat lost more quickly. Other dangers of swimming in the harbour include getting hit by a boat, hazardous or discarded objects under the water, occasional very strong currents due to tides and occasional poor water quality.
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