A CHORLEY holidaymaker led a miraculous rescue mission when he saved the lives of two drowning swimmers using just a fishing line and a carrier bag.
Hundreds of stunned onlookers watched as the 64-year-old reeled in the two struggling men who had got into difficulties off the coast of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands.
Tony Dilworth, of Wymundsley, Astley Village, booked the two-week holiday as a surprise for his wife Sharon. They travelled to the resort with daughter Kirsty, 21, and her boyfriend Keiron Garlic.
Retired TV technician Tony said: "It all feels surreal now, something just took over me and I knew that I was the last chance these men had."
The drama began as Tony and Keiron, a 28-year-old customer service rep, enjoyed a relaxing afternoon's fishing on the rocky beach behind their hotel complex on Thursday, August 5.
As the weather took a turn for the worse, they were shocked to see two swimmers enter the water.
The waves started crashing up to 20ft high and the swimmers began struggling and gesturing to the shore for help.
Tony, who has suffered from acute myeloid leukaemia since 1992, said: "After they had been in the water about 15 minutes, I realised they wouldn't be able to get out, as the sea was right up to the rocks.
"Lots of people started to come out of the hotel and gather on the beach but there was nothing anyone could do.
"The hotel staff threw lifebelts out, which the two men grabbed on to, but they were too exhausted to swim back to the shore."
As the men began to drift more than 100 yards out to sea, Tony told onlookers to call for the lifeboat.
He said: "I realised they had no chance if we waited, and knew it was down to me to save them."
In a moment of inspiration, Tony asked Keiron, of Great Meadow, Astley Village, to help cut the tackle off his fishing line and attach a 3oz bomber weight.
He shouted to the men to look out for the line and he cast it into the water three times, missing narrowly at each attempt.
Then Tony decided to attach a strip of a carrier bag in which he had carried his tackle to make it easier for the men to see.
He cast his line more than 100 yards before it landed directly between them.
"I didn't think I could cast that far," said Tony. "But something seemed to take over and I knew exactly what I had to do."
The men tied the line to the lifebelts and Tony began the painstakingly slow job of reeling them in.
Because the line had a 25lb breaking strength, it would have snapped if Tony had pulled too hard.
Amazingly, the rod cost just £3 from an internet auction site.
It took half an hour before Tony was able to reel them in and they were dragged ashore by hotel staff.
He then realised that hundreds of people had watched the rescue from the hotel balconies, roof and the shore.
He said: "They were both shattered, and thanked me for saving their lives.
"I'd really like to meet them again, but all I know about them is that one was called Paul, from Ireland, and another was Terry from Rochdale."
The pair, who were battered, bruised and cut after their terrifying ordeal, are believed to work on the island.
Tony's wife Sharon said: "I had gone back up to the room to change, and was thinking that they'd been a long time.
"When they came back and told me what had happened I couldn't believe it. I'm very proud of him."
The incident bears hallmarks of a previous rescue, when Tony became stranded off the Fleetwood coast while deep-sea fishing two days before his wedding in 1979.
The only remnants of his boat were an oar and a plastic carrier bag. He was able to send an SOS semaphore message to the coastguard after he attached the bag to the oar and lifted it up and down to signal his distress.
Tony said: "To have my own life saved by a carrier bag was lucky, but to save two more lives with one is amazing."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article