Dan Fiveash was on his usual shift in January, at ASDA Living in Maidstone, when he had to leap into action to save someone’s life, who had fallen into the River Medway.

The 31-year-old was on his break, behind the St Peters Street store, when he heard shouting coming from the river. Without even thinking about what he was to face in the coming minutes he immediately ran down to the scene to see what was going on and what he could do to help.

He said: “I saw someone in the river who was holding onto the reeds, we’d had a lot of rainfall in the previous days, so the banks had burst, and the water levels seemed to be a lot higher than usual. Without thinking I just grabbed the life ring and threw it to him.”

Dan then had to hold onto the life ring, while making the 999 call to ask for the fire service, ambulance and police.

He added: “The man in the water was quite calm and I just kept reassuring him until the emergency services turned up. It was cold and dark and I didn’t know how much longer he was going to be able to hold on for, and nor did I so my main focus was just holding on and constantly talking to him.

“I made sure I pulled him as close as I could to me, so there was less slack on the life ring’s rope. And then to my relief, the emergency services were there.”

Within minutes, two fire engines and the water safety unit were on scene, along with Kent Police and SECamb to bring the 63-year-old casualty to safety.

Meanwhile Dan casually walked back into the store for the rest of his shift.

“I literally walked back in, and everyone was saying ‘where have you been?’ so I explained to my manager what had happened. They offered me support and let me talk it through.

“It could so easily have been a different story. I kept questioning myself about whether I did everything right, could I have done more but ASDA were really good and let me take as long as I needed.”

Dan doesn’t feel like he did anything special that day, saying “It was really shocking. People say that I should feel proud but for me it was a natural thing to do. The person in the water needed help. It didn't cross my mind to not help or not do anything. It was my natural reaction.”

ASDA Store Manager, Paul Wiedeholz, said: “We think it’s terrific to be on break and to do this. ASDA is part of the community, and it goes to show how focused we are on caring for customers and people in the community. We think Dan is a hero.” 

Maidstone Fire Station’s Crew Manager, David said: “Dan absolutely made the right call on that day. His quick thinking and heroic actions in using the nearby life ring meant that Kent Fire and Rescue Service was able to bring the man to safety quickly and efficiently.”

Kent Fire and Rescue Service has launched its Make the Right Call campaign. The water safety campaign is about urging the public to help save lives and valuable time, by making the right call if they see someone struggling in a lake or river.

For inland water rescues in Kent or Medway, people should call 999 and ask for the fire service. For rescues at sea, it’s the Coastguard.