Man who nearly drowned in sea ‘probably saved by beers,’ paramedics say, but coast guard insist 'don’t go swimming if you have been drinking'

Conflicting messages from authorities in Kent, England:

A man left close to death after leaping from the Herne Bay pier into the sea may have been saved by the eight beers he drank before jumping.

He and a pal stripped to their underwear and plunged into the cold water after a drinking session. But the foolish pair had to be rescued by emergency crews after struggling for 45 minutes to get ashore. 

One of the men was pulled to safety with a life ring by police, while the other, who had lost consciousness, was dragged in by coastguard deputy station manager Matt Stickels. He says the hapless duo are lucky to be alive.

“They were so cold and had been in the water for about 45 minutes. If someone hadn’t thrown in the life rings, then in my experience it would’ve ended in a fatality.

“I went in to get the second man because I didn’t know how long it would take for the lifeboat to arrive. He had had eight cans of beer. The paramedics said that it probably kept him alive, because his body had slowed down so much that it might have helped him.

“He was in an unconscious state. The ambulance team had to be careful and keep him horizontal because he was prone to a heart attack.

“We want to get across the important warning – don’t go swimming if you have been drinking.”

Wait, now I get it: don't go swimming if you've been drinking unless you've had enough to keep you unconscious until the coast guard and paramedics arrive.

Source: Kent Online