THE shocking moment a man was found in a freezing cold canal on Christmas Eve has been recounted by an eyewitness.

Katie Thomasson and her partner Danny Beard saw the dramatic rescue of a man from in the water at the canal lock at the junction of Foundry Street and Lock Street.

Miss Thomasson said she heard distressed calls for help and immediately began searching for the man.

READ MORE: West Mercia Police Officer risks life to save man from freezing canal

She said: "I was walking to my brother-in-law's with my partner on Christmas Eve along the canal near the lock between Mother Hubbard's and The Commandery.

"As I was walking I heard a shout for help but it was so dark I could barely see. I called out to the voice and tried to use my phone light to search across the water.

"My phone was not bright enough so a passerby helped to shine a light on the water which is when we found the man."

Miss Thomasson says the man was caught in his coat. 

She said: "My partner immediately wanted to jump in to save him but the man who helped us called the emergency services and I just kept talking to the man in the canal and tried to reassure him that he would be ok.

"Police finally arrived and as they were trying to get down by the canal one of the officers became injured as well."

Chief Constable Pippa Mills said that an officer named PC Garth was responsible for rescuing the man.

West Mercia Police said that officers initially tried to pull the man out with a rope but PC Garth had to enter the water and pull him out after that proved unsuccessful. 

The officer then gave CPR before the man was taken to hospital.

A spokesperson for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: "On December 24, we were called by West Mercia Police to an incident at the canal lock at the junction of Foundry Street and Lock Street in Worcester at 10.51pm.

"A paramedic arrived five minutes after the call and was backed up by an ambulance, a paramedic officer and the Midlands Air Ambulance Critical Care Car.

"Crews found that a man had been pulled from the lock by firefighters and a police officer and was receiving care from them.

"Ambulance staff assessed the patient and treated him at the scene before conveying him to Worcester Royal Hospital for further treatment."