A jogger who rescued an unconscious man from a canal was told that "another 15 seconds and the guy would have been dead".

Paul Orange, 42, climbed into the Grand Union Canal near Rickmansworth after seeing a man face down in the water while jogging yesterday (Thursday) morning.

Watford Observer:

Paul Orange

An unknown schoolboy who was also walking along the towpath called the emergency services and together, the pair managed to lift the man, believed to be in forties, out of the water and put him in a recovery position.

Paramedics from London Ambulance Service were called to Summerhouse Way, Harefield, at 7.23am and Herfordshire Fire and Rescue arrived further along the canal, in Springwell Lane, Rickmansworth, minutes later.

The victim was taken to St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington "as a priority" after paramedics administered first aid at the scene.

Mr Orange, from Rickmansworth, said: "To be honest, I think one of the firemen had received additional paramedic training because he said ‘another 15 seconds and the guy would have been dead'.

"I was just running along the canal and saw something in the water, which at first I thought was a bit of rubbish thrown into the canal.

"Once I realised it was not and it was a chap laying face down in the water and unconscious, I started to dial the emergency services and while I was doing this, a schoolboy on his way to school made the call "While he was doing that, I climbed into the canal and got the guy's head above the water."

The man was then lifted from the canal and other passers-by helped direct emergency staff to the scene.

Mr Orange, marketing manager for GE Healthcare, took the rest of the day off work and despite feeling physically fine, he followed police advice and went to see a doctor after being in water which came up to his chest.

Paul’s wife, Victoria Pearson, said: "I am over-whelmingly proud of him.

"He did what I think anyone else would do, he saw someone in the canal and took action to get them out."

Ms Pearson told the Watford Observer that they both regularly run along the canal towpath and that she had found out about her husband’s heroics through a message left on her phone.

She added: "I am really proud Paul was there and knew what to do and was able to help someone."

A spokesman with the ambulance service said the man was unconscious when he was taken to hospital and he remains in a serious condition.