Man rescued from freezing Leeds & Liverpool Canal

A MAN walking the towpath of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal at Wigan saw a man struggling in the freezing water.

But being unable to rescue him he called the emergency services, I Dugald Campbell reports.

The emergency services quickly arrived at the scene near Crooke Marina, with the police, who were first at the scene able to throw the man a line, as he was too far from the bank to reach.

Pulled out

The man, in his 50's, was pulled to the bank then pulled out of the freezing water by the police.

The firefighters had by then arrived and transferred him to the ambulance that had also arrived, which quickly took him to hospital.

It is understood the man was conscious and talking during the time of the rescue.