A PASSER-BY saved a pensioner's life after he slipped on rocks and fell into the sea yesterday.

The 68-year-old, from Chester-le-Street, County Durham, was enjoying a bank holiday walk with his wife and friends at Amble, in Northumberland, at 11.30am when the accident happened.

The man, a non-swimmer, got into difficulty when he fell into the icy water of the North Sea. His wife and friends were also unable to swim.

Luckily, quick-thinking Peter Brierley, of King Edward Street, Amble, was nearby. He threw the man a lifebelt to keep him afloat until rescue crews could reach him, but he was still in danger from the extreme cold.

Mr Brierley, 41, a building control officer for Castle Morpeth Borough Council, said: "There were two couples and they were old, so I had to do something.

"Someone went and grabbed a lifebelt and I was able to throw it out to him.

"That kept him afloat but the problem was the cold, because he was in the water for 15 minutes.

"He was starting to fade when the lifeboats got there and two of the crew had to get in the water to help him get out.

"I could hear them urging him to stay awake as he was drifting in and out of consciousness. They got there just in time."

The man, who is not being named, was rescued in a joint operation by Amble inshore and offshore lifeboat, the Coastguard and the RAF.

He was airlifted to Wansbeck General Hospital, Ashington, where he was treated for hypothermia and minor grazes and detained over-night.

He was expected to make a full recovery.

Inspector Dave Jewell said: "Had it not been for the actions of Mr Brierley, the coastguard, the lifeboats and the RAF, this incident could have had a tragic outcome.

"The gentleman and his family wish to thank everyone involved in the rescue."