A HOTEL night porter saved a grandmother from the sea when concerns were raised after she was seen entering the water after midnight.
Danny McNamara, who works as a night porter at the Russell Hotel on The Esplanade, pulled the woman from the sea at Weymouth Beach during the early hours of Saturday morning after she was heard distressed heading towards the water.
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She was heard screaming and seen in the sea at shoulder-deep levels before Mr McNamara jumped into the water after her, while he remained on the phone to police.
The 51-year-old saviour, of Newton's Cove, said he spoke to the woman before eventually pulling her from the water - and spent the rest of the night speaking to her in the hotel lobby while he finished his shift.
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He said: "A member of staff from another hotel said he heard a woman screaming on the beach.
"She entered the water, which went up to her shoulders, and she was wearing a dress, high heels, jewellery and even had her handbag.
"Adrenaline took over and I jumped in afterwards. I'm an ex-police officer so after speaking to her I had to put her in a headlock, while I was on the phone to police.
"It was pitch black when I pulled her out of the water, and then all of a sudden the beach was lit up with blue lights by seven police cars.
"I told the officers I would look after her and we just spoke in the hotel lobby all night. She told me she was a grandma of five, which is five reasons to keep going.
"The water was calm that night, which is lucky because it could have easily swept both of us out but this person was in desperate need of help.
"When I was a police officer I dealt with similar situations, but this was as a member of the public where there is no preparation.
"I would say to someone who finds themselves in a similar situation to assess it first because you are putting your own life at risk too, which is frightening."
A Dorset Police spokesman said: "We received a report at 12.49am on Saturday 3 July 2021 raising concern for the welfare of a woman seen entering the sea near to The Esplanade in Weymouth.
"It was further reported that the woman had been taken to safety by a member of the public at around 1am. Officers attended to ensure the woman was safe."
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