A man who was taking part in a major clean up of Limerick this morning was rescued from the canal after trying to retrieve a life ring.
Emergency services were alerted after the man (75) fell into the canal on Clare Street shortly after 11am.
Gardaí, ambulance and three units of Limerick Fire and Rescue Service were involved.
A passer-by who spotted the man in distress got into the freezing water and held him up until help arrived.
Firefighters wearing specialist rescue gear pulled the man to safety and treated him at the scene.
It happened as Irish rugby star Paul O'Connell led some 10,000 volunteers in Limerick today cleaning the streets of the city and county.
Businessman JP McManus and racing legend AP McCoy are also behind the initiative.
Team Limerick Clean-up is one of the biggest one-day community efforts organised in Ireland.
O'Connell says it was not difficult to get people involved.
