A drunken stunt almost cost a man his life when the reveller tried to swim across the River Thames at Putney for a £5 bet, 19 years ago.

But the 58-year-old had two guardian angels looking over him on a bitterly cold winter night in the form of boatman Don Rowland and policeman Rob Nailard.

Mr Rowland, who was working his last day at the Barclays Bank boathouse after a career there spanning 26 years, spotted Dennis Diamond and a friend jump into the water by Bishop’s Park in Fulham.

According to Mr Rowland’s wife Margaret, who also witnessed the “foolhardy” bet unfold, her husband immediately sprang into action.

She said: “Don said to me ‘I’m going to have to go and get him’ and jumped into his little one man dinghy he built himself about two years ago.

“By the time he’d rowed out to the man, he was floating just under the water, so Don pulled him into the boat.

“I was quite worried by this stage because the boat was so small. I thought Don might end up in the water too.

Mr Rowland, who described himself as a young 60, said: “When I got to him I thought he was dead.

“I don’t know where I got the strength from to pull him out of the water, because he was a big man and had all his clothes on. But I got it from somewhere.

“You never think about doing these things until it’s all over. You just react and get on with it.”

Mr Diamond was close to death by the time he was ferried to shore - his heart had stopped and his body temperature had plummeted.

But fortunately for him, a second hero had appeared. PC Nailard calmly began mouth to mouth resuscitation, and succeeded in getting Mr Diamond’s heart started again.

PC Nailard’s actions were praised by Superintendent Peter Brant, who described the two mens’ stunt as “a foolhardy act”.

He said: “It shows that the Thames is an unforgiving river which must never be taken for granted.”

Mr Diamond, from Ilford, was taken to the intensive care unit at Charing Cross Hospital while the other man, who was aged 44, was treated for exposure but quickly released.

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