RESCUERS pulled a man from a York river after a householder heard his desperate pleas for help.

The 23-year-old man, who is believed to have been drinking, was only saved from the River Foss when a neighbour was awoken by his screams and had the presence of mind to call 999.

Teacher Eve Morris, who lives at the bottom of Blue Bridge Lane, only yards from the river, said she heard the commotion soon after 3am.

She told how the man was yelling for help and shouting: “I don’t want to die.”

She said: “I heard a man saying ‘help me; I’m drunk and in the river’. He was loud but sounded tired and I think he had been in there for a little while.”

“In the end, he said ‘I don’t want to die’ and kept shouting ‘help me, help me’.”

Police later thanked Ms Morris, who said she could see the river from her window, but was unable to see the man behind some trees.

She said: “Straight away I phoned the police and they were brilliant. They were there really quickly.”

Police officers tried to rescue the man but were unsuccessful. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue crews then arrived and managed to get him to safety by using a ladder. He was then taken to hospital.

The drama unfolded near Blue Bridge, only a few yards from where the body of York student Robert Ailwood was found three years ago, following another river tragedy.

North Yorkshire Police today urged people not to go near York’s rivers if they had been drinking.

A spokesman said: “Excessive drinking and rivers do not go together well, so if you plan on drinking, stay well clear of the water.”

Local councillor Dave Taylor, who lives near the bridge, said there was little that could be done to avoid such incidents. He said it was “inconceivable” that the river would be fenced off. He said: “We have to remember that rivers are dangerous places.”