The dramatic rescue takes place on the seventh at Oceanico Victoria

Round two of the Portugal Masters at Vilamoura was briefly delayed when a marshal had to be rescued after falling into a lake at the seventh hole.

Graham Finch, who cannot swim, lost his balance and tumbled into the water at the Oceanico Victoria course.

Fortunately, fellow marshal Miguel Palhoa was quick to spot the danger and dived in to rescue his colleague.

Ironically, playing the hole at the time was Jean Van de Velde, famed for losing The Open in a greenside burn.

Finch, a former captain of the High Post club in Salisbury, returned to the same spot later in the day - after a change of clothing.

"I'd been watching drives and had taken a few backward steps when suddenly I did the splits and went down into the lake. It was like going down a children's slide," he explained later.

"It was not funny at the time. I was frightened - it's no good saying I wasn't. I was up to my neck and I can swim only a few yards, so I cried out.

"At first someone came with an umbrella to try to pull me back to dry land, but I couldn't reach it and every time I tried to put a foot down I went further in.

"But another marshal was brilliant then. He came in and pushed me so I could reach the rocks and clamber out."

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version