A TRIO of divers have saved the life of a man who had come to the surface unconscious.

Pete Hodkin, from Plum Tree Road in Lower Stondon, was at a national diving centre in Leicestershire when he heard cries for help coming from other people in the water on Saturday.

The 52-year-old, alongside his son Daniel and fellow member of Mid Herts Divers, Rod Reeves, pulled the man to safety but initially could not get the 35-year-old diver to breathe.

Mr Hodkin said: “We went into autopilot. We rolled him onto his side, extended his airway, but nothing. His jaw was jammed shut. I knew I had to get his mouth open. I tilted his head again and his mouth opened – but still nothing.”

Mr Hodkin together with Mr Reeves, who is an emergency care assistant with the East of England Ambulance Service, managed to find a pulse and clear the man’s airways while his son Daniel comforted two relatives.

“I shouted to them that he was now breathing and one of them made their way towards us, knelt down beside him and began talking in a foreign language,” said Mr Hodkin, who is the diving club’s training officer.

“He obviously recognised the voice.

“He immediately started to try and turn his head. His colour begins to return and there were lots of moans and groans coming from him.

“We all spend a lot of time practising for an incident but thankfully most don’t have to use them.

“Rod and I did what we had to do – save a life. Our training paid off.”

Paramedics arrived at Stoney Cove by rescue boat and gave the diver oxygen before he was taken by air ambulance to Leicester Royal Infirmary.

The man is expected to make a full recovery.