A DAD has revealed he was “ten minutes from death” after falling off a boat before being plucked to safety by heroic fishermen.

Graham Smith, from Wickford, was left in a state of hypothermic shock while clinging to his yacht in the River Crouch at Wallasea Island before two fishermen pulled him from the river and kept him conscious.

Mr Smith had planned to take his daughters Evie, 11, and Ellie, 13, sailing on the river alongside his wife Sam.

The couple took a dinghy out to the yacht but were left crying for help when choppy water caused them to fall into the river.

Despite his wife managing to climb onto the yacht, Mr Smith was left hanging onto their boat for 20 minutes in the ice cold water.

The 52-year-old said: “I was literally ten minutes away from dying, all I could do was panic and feel totally helpless.

“We were meant to be having an overnight trip, so we took with us bits like sleeping bags and food. My wife started passing up the things into the yacht cockpit. I reached out to grab the side of the yacht when the boat we were in tipped over and started filling up with water.

“My wife fell in but managed to climb up the ladder. I fell in and my life jacket inflated, but the wind and the waves started crashing me into the hull of the boat.

“I was holding on so the waves didn’t carry me away and me and my wife were screaming for help, but it felt like our cries were falling on deaf ears.”

Two fisherman passing on the Endeavour sailed past and the two men changed course to save Mr Smith.

Mr Smith added: “It took them ten minutes to get me on their boat where the water was so choppy, I was going unconscious as I was so cold. They said to me stay awake or you will probably die and kept me going through it all.

“The RNLI arrived and I was in shock, I couldn’t stop shaking. They took me to the Essex Marina where an ambulance was waiting while the fishermen took my wife back to our daughters.

“I can’t describe how indebted I am to them, they saved my life. Had it not been for them someone might have had to drag a dead body out the water.”

A DAD who was ten minutes away from death after falling off a boat into the River Crouch has thanked the heroic fishermen who saved him.

Graham Smith, from Wickford, says without Shane and Matty he wouldn’t be here today - after they pulled him from the river and kept him conscious until help arrived.

Mr Smith, who has a yacht on the River Roach - just by the Crouch - had planned to take daughters Evie and Ellie for a sail with wife Sam.

Leaving his 11 and 13-year-old girls on the bank for safety, the couple took a dinghy out to their yacht but were left crying for help when the choppy water caused them to fall off and into the river.

Despite his wife managing to climb onto the yacht, Mr Smith was left hanging onto their boat for 20 minutes in the ice cold water, leaving him in a state of hypothermic shock.

The 52-year-old said: “I was literally ten minutes away from dying, all I could do was panic and feel totally helpless.

“We were meant to be having an overnight trip, so we took with us bits like sleeping bags and food. My wife started passing up the things into the yacht cockpit. I reached out to grab the side of the yacht when the boat we were in tipped over and started filling up with water.

“My wife fell in but managed to climb up the ladder. I fell in and my life jacket inflated, but the wind and the waves started crashing me into the hull of the boat.

“I was holding on so the waves didn’t carry me away and me and my wife were screaming for help, but it felt like our cries were falling on deaf ears.”

After 20 minutes Mr Smith had tired, with the cold wind robbing him of his strength – he pleaded with his wife to get someone quickly, struggling to hold on.

But fate had brought Shane and Matty who were on board a fishing boat called the Endeavour to the couple, with the duo changing their course of direction to help save them.

Mr Smith continued: “It took them ten minutes to get me on their boat where the water was so choppy, I was going unconscious as I was so cold. They said to me stay awake or you will probably die and kept me going through it all.

“The RNLI arrived and I was in shock, I couldn’t stop shaking. They took me to the Essex Marina where an ambulance was waiting while the fishermen took my wife back to our daughters.

“I can’t describe how indebted I am to them, they saved my life. Had it not been for them someone might’ve had to drag a dead body out the water.”