A 77-year-old is lucky to be alive after he fell into a river in the Norfolk Broads and was underwater for two or three minutes.

North Norfolk News: Boats moored on Womack Water. Picture: James BassBoats moored on Womack Water. Picture: James Bass (Image: Archant Norfolk Photographic © 2013)

John Donaldson, a retired civil engineer, now wants to thank the good Samaritans who risked their lives to save his.

Mr Donaldson, who lives in Hunmanby in north Yorkshire, fell into the water from a rented boat. He was not wearing a life jacket and does not know how to swim.

He said: "It was a pretty traumatic experience and I was extremely lucky, to say the least.

"It's a good warning to anyone else to wear a ruddy life jacket."

Mr Donaldson was on holidays with a friend, and they had rented a boat from Richardson's of Stalham when the incident happened on September 15.

He said: "We moored up in Womack Water and the next morning around 9am I was on deck unmooring the boat, and I don't remember too much else.

"I think I was under for two or three minutes, and when they pulled me out I was blue and my lips were black. I was well on the way to not making it.

"They jumped into the river to pull me out, which was very heroic. I want to say thank you very much for my life, and being unsung heroes."

The ambulance was called in, and after paramedics gave first aid, he was flown by air ambulance to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, where he was treated for several days.

Mr Donaldson said: "Because I'm quite a largish chap they couldn't carry me to the road ambulance, so the air ambulance was called.

"They got me down there in what felt like seconds and were absolutely top hole.

"I was in hospital because got a bit of water on my lungs and they were feeding me lots of antibiotics. I was quite bruised up a well."

Mr Donaldson said he also wanted to thank the staff at Richardson's for their support.

He said: "All in all thanks to the people of Norfolk. What a wonderful bunch."

Mr Donaldson is now recovering at home, but still needs to return to hospital for x-rays and other checks.

Do you know who saved Mr Donaldson? Please email reporter Stuart Anderson at stuart.anderson@archant.co.uk