A QUICK-THINKING man saved his friend's life when he nearly drowned in the Clydebank canal trying to recover a stranger's phone.

James Maginn told the Post a passer-by going over the bridge on his bike yesterday morning dropped his £1,200 phone and it fell straight into the water.

James's pal Eddie - known to him as 'Scuba Steve' - offered to help rescue the phone.

The Good Samaritan rushed home, grabbed his diving gear and quickly returned before entering the canal in a bid to trace the device.

James, 36, said: "He didn't get that far out, he was only in for a minute and started drowning because he got tangled in all the weeds.

"I had to go to the edge and get a grip of him and help him out along with another person who was walking by.

"I thought he was having a laugh at first but he started to go under. He could have died.

"If he was further out I would have had to jump in – I wouldn’t have left him."

Eddie, 52, who goes deep sea diving when he's abroad, said he was just keen to help the person who lost their phone.

James now wants to share the story in the hope of stopping children jumping in the canal during periods of warm weather.

He added: "It's dangerous, there could be a death in there. I've seen kids jumping in before.

"We want to let people know about this so kids are not jumping in over the holidays."