BOATER Barry Reed has been hailed a hero after a canal worker lost control of his quad bike and ended up plunging over the side of a lock in Devizes.

Mr Reed, who lives on the canal, says he heard the sound of the bike and ran along the towpath near Northgate Street and then jumped in to save the man who is believed to be in his sixties.

Mr Reed said: “It was lucky I was there. His family have been in touch to say they think if it hadn’t been for me he might not have survived.

“I just acted instinctively. I am happy he is making a full recovery and is still around to be a husband and a father.”

It is understood it was the quad bike rider’s first day working as a temporary lock-keeper employed for the season with the trust.

Mr Reed jumped about 15ft into the lock which only had a few feet of water in the bottom of it. The quad bike rider, who works for the Canal and River Trust, was wearing a life jacket but he was floating face down in the water.

Mr Reed said he managed to drag the man to the steps at the side of the lock and then with the help of another trust worker pull him to safety. The drama was witnessed unfolding last Wednesday evening by

Michael Wood, of Northgate Street, whose house overlooks the lock gate. He was doing the washing up and saw two canal workers on quad bikes just outside his kitchen window.

He said: “It was clear that one of the men was having problems with his quad bike. The other man came over and gave him some advice but then he just careered off. I couldn’t believe it when he went over the edge. I went running out to see what I could do and then someone from a boat came along and went into the lock. I got a rope and the guy was pulled to the steps. Someone must have rung 999 as three ambulances and police arrived.”

A spokesman for the Canal and River Trust said: “Thankfully no one was seriously injured, and our staff member involved has fully recovered. 

“We’re really grateful to Barry for taking the action he did, he’s a real hero. We’re investigating whether there’s anything that could have been done to prevent this from happening, and if there are measures we can take to make things safer in future.

"Luckily incidents like these are very rare, but it is a reminder of the importance of staying safe around the water”

Sgt Vince Logue of Devizes police said: "Barry was quite a hero. The outcome could have been much worse if he had not been there."