A pensioner who almost drowned after falling into the river from his dinghy, is hoping the tale of his “stupidity” will encourage other boat users to ensure they wear life jackets when venturing out on the water.

Bob Nicholas, of Sithney near Helston, is the first to admit he was “stupid” to leave his life jacket in his car when he set off from Gweek Quay in his seven foot dinghy early on Thursday morning.

He had decided to try out a new outboard motor he had recently bought on his dinghy, which, he claims, was another mistake as the engine was too heavy for the inflatable.

“I put the boat in at Gweek, started it up and ran it up the river about half a mile. The dinghy felt very unstable and then when I turned around by the seal sanctuary, the outboard cut out,” said Mr Nicholas.

“I went back to start it again and it tipped me out and into the water, which is very cold now.

“I was floating in the water with no life jacket on, shouting for about ten minutes but nobody heard me. I honestly thought I was going to drown.”

It was then that two men appeared from Seacore and advised Mr Nicholas, who was clinging to a rope attached to the dinghy, to try to swim to the other shore – an option that he had not considered in his panicked state.

“I had wellington boots on and I managed to get them off and was still hanging to the rope but it was very cold and I am 70-years-old and 15 stone,” he said. “I was just lucky that I was somewhere that I was close enough to get to shore.”

Mr Nicholas managed to clamber ashore and climb a steep bank up onto the road where Alex Watt, of the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, happened to drive by and came to his rescue.

The pensioner was taken to the seal sanctuary where he was given dry towels, hot coffee and a heater to sit by and generally looked after by staff while he recovered from his ordeal.

Mr Nicholas is hopeful that by telling his story, other boat users will be deterred from setting out 
without life jackets. “I don’t mind appearing stupid if it gets the message across,” he said.

“I have messed around with boats for about 50 years but that doesn’t make me a professional. I had my life jacket in my car, but when I got down there (to Gweek) the tide had started to turn and I thought I would be alright but the next second I was in the water. It has been a very sobering experience. If I didn’t make it to that shore, I do not think I would have made it, I think I would have drowned.”