A sailor who saved a disabled man from drowning has been recognised for his bravery by becoming one of three finalists in a national maritime hero award.
Matthew Reed, 46, is one of three nominees to make the final of The Old Pulteney Maritime Heroes Awards, from 30 semi-finalists around the country.
He was attending the race as a spectator when he took remarkable action to rescue the trapped disabled entrant whose boat had capsized leaving no immediate sign of crew in the water.
Robert Boyd had been racing with three able-bodied sailors when the 20ft Dart Sailability yacht turned turtle.
Reaching the scene first, Matthew dived into the water and came up in an air pocket under the boat, which was moving around a lot in the swell.
Matthew discovered the disabled entrant still strapped into his chair, trapped upside down and completely underwater. He bravely assisted in righting the boat before freeing the unconscious crewman and getting him to safety.
A mayday was called and the emergency services rushed him to hospital. Without Matthew’s actions, the incident could have been fatal.
The annual awards are in their fifth year, having been founded by Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Whisky – known as ‘the maritime malt’ – to reward the outstanding passion, commitment and achievements demonstrated within Britain’s maritime communities.
UK sailing clubs were invited to nominate any members they felt deserved recognition within the categories of club service, bravery and sailing achievement.
Royal Dart Yacht Club is very proud of Matthew’s recognition in the awards.
Commodore Clive Bennett said: ‘Matthew has been a member of the Royal Dart Yacht Club all his life, where he learnt to both love and respect the sea.
‘I am delighted that his unwavering act of bravery has been recognised by The Old Pulteney Maritime Heroes Awards. We are all very proud of him.’
Old Pulteney presented Matthew with a Maritime Heroes Awards trophy and a bottle of the award-winning Old Pulteney 17-Year-Old Single Malt. Matthew is now one of three shortlisted sailing stars going through to the final stage of the competition. If successful, he will win £1,000, a commemorative trophy, and a bottle of Old Pulteney 21-Year-Old, which was voted ‘world whisky of the year’ in 2012.
Margaret Mary Clarke, Old Pulteney senior brand manager, said: ‘The standard of entries this year has been exceptional, making the task of picking our finalists tougher than ever.
‘It has been an absolute privilege for the Old Pulteney team to hear so many inspiring stories from around the UK and our congratulations go to Matthew for reaching our top three.
‘He is truly deserving of this recognition and we wish him the very best of luck for the awards’ final stage.’