Glen Widdowson, of Shaftesbury Avenue, was enjoying a rare day off work in Hull with his wife Julia, following a postponed decorating job.

But a leisurely walk along the marina turned into a lifesaving situation when three men came into difficulty after jumping into the water near the Green Bricks pub in the city centre.

Glen recalled hearing splashes whilst on the marina waiting for the lock to open and turned round to see three people in the water trying to swim towards a ladder to get out.

He explained: "One of them shouted 'help us we are in trouble', and with that I said to my wife they are not going to make it so I ran round to the end of the dock about 40 or 50 yards away.

"I looked down the ladder and they had just about made it to the bottom but I could see they were unconscious by this time but breathing.

"The only thing I could think to do was shoot down the ladder as quick as I could and use the bottom rung to anchor myself with my arms on the ladder so I could get his wrist with my other arm and pull him up so his head was above water."

He added: "The guy I was holding onto was holding onto his friend who sadly died and it seemed like an eternity until help arrived, although it wasn't.

"I just hung on because I knew if I let him go he would go under and drown and I didn't want that on my conscience."

Police constable Allan Cowley, who jumped into the water along with colleague Gareth Walker to haul the men out with the help of the fire service, revealed how the water was like ice, and that the three men had been drinking before jumping in.

He added: "I would urge anybody not to jump in the water because there are hidden dangers underneath and waterways have got diseases in.

"But also because it is ice cold and people can quickly catch hypothermia."

Glen's wife Julia said: "I was terrified and it was horrible.

"It was frightening and surreal as if you were watching something on television."

One 44-year-old has been released from hospital following the incident, but Simon Peter Wood (40) of Hull died, while a third man was unhurt.