AN elderly man was pulled from the waters of Windermere after a two-hour ordeal in freezing temperatures.

The Windermere Lake Wardens responded to the emergency call after the man had fallen from his boat, sustaining a minor head injury.

He was clinging to the ladder at the back of his yacht, suffering hypothermia, when South Lakeland District Council wardens, Graeme Woodman and Travis Spraske, came to his rescue on December 3.

Mr Woodman said: “When the casualty was recovered there was no core temperature reading and he was drifting in and out of consciousness.

"His plight was made all the more difficult because the gentleman concerned was in very cold water, 8 degrees Celsius, and heavily weighed down by wet clothing.

"He also wasn’t wearing a safety flotation jacket, which made his condition far more serious.”

Frankie Flannigan, Lake and Parking Services Officer at the council, said: “It is without a doubt that the actions of the Lake Wardens with their rapid response and excellent medical skills prevented this from becoming another tragedy.”