HERO shop worker, Dan Stephens, jumped into a lake to save a stranger from drowning while on a fishing trip. Dan, 26, who works at Amwell Aquatics, ripped off his clothes and dived into the 12 feet lake when he saw a fellow fisherman, believed to be in hi

HERO shop worker, Dan Stephens, jumped into a lake to save a stranger from drowning while on a fishing trip.

Dan, 26, who works at Amwell Aquatics, ripped off his clothes and dived into the 12 feet lake when he saw a fellow fisherman, believed to be in his late 20s, thrashing around at Dents Lake, Hilgay.

He said: "The guy was using a long pole and a big fish grabbed the bait and pulled it in. The pole must have cost about two grand so he went in after it. He wasn't expecting a big dip in the bank and just fell in and started waving around panicking. "At first I thought he was joking around with his mate so just watched, but then I realised that he was actually drowning."

Dan, from Littleport, worked as a lifeguard in his late teens, but explained that he relied more on his instincts than his training.

He said: "I'm trained how to save people when they may have suffered a broken arm or neck, but not when they're thrashing around like a lunatic.

"He tried to pull me down to help himself up and it was quite scary for a while. I dived under and grabbed hold of his waist and then swam as hard as I could to the river bank.

"He thanked me afterwards and told me that if I'd left him for another 20 seconds he would have drowned. He said he'd buy me a pint but I'm still thirsty.

"The guys at work have been having a lot of fun since and call me 'Dan the hero' all the time. It was quite nice at first but has started to grate a bit now."

Dan 'the hero' Stephens.

Photo: HELEN DRAKE