A GWENT man has described for the first time how he thought he would die when a freak wave threw him off his jetski on the River Severn.

And he has praised the Severn Area Rescue Association for saving his life.

Nicholas Barne, 31, of Pontnewydd, Cwmbran, a motor and property trader, set out for a day on the Severn on March 17 with his friend Andrew Prosser.

Mr Barne owns his own jetski and has five years' experience in riding it.

But while he was still warming up the machine, he was knocked off it into the freezing waters by a freak wave - and found he could not reach the jetski because of potentially-deadly currents.

He said: "I tried to swim back to land and I shouted out to my friend. It was so lucky - he saw the jetski floating away and he phoned 999.

"I relaxed for a moment and suddenly I was out under the old Severn Bridge. I didn't really know what was going on. I got sucked under the water a couple of times.

"I got myself together a bit but there was no chance of getting to shore because the currents were so strong.

"I thought about my family, my friends and I thought this is just not happening to me, I don't want to die today."

Andrew Prosser, a 30-year-old ground worker from Bristol, had come along for his first ride on a jetski.

He said: "I went to take the jeep and trailer back to the top and and wound down the window for a moment - I don't know why.

"I couldn't hear the jetski so I looked out and saw Nick with his arm in the air, so I called 999."

A Severn Area Rescue Association lifeboat was sent out and Mr Barne was pulled from the water.

Mr Prosser said: "I've never seen anyone change like that - after half an hour in the water he'd gone from normal to being blue, shaking, he couldn't speak."

Mr Barne said: "I was about 20 metres away from the lifeboat when they came for me and I was shouting for my life.

"It was very cold and the waves were quite high - I didn't think I was going to make it. Later they said I had stage three hypothermia.

"I want to thank the Severn Area Rescue Association for saving my life.

"They got the jetski back, but I'm going to sell it and get a dirt bike or something instead."