A HAMPSHIRE dad has spoken of the moment he plucked a man to safety as raging floods swept through a Spanish resort.

Ian Blomquist used his training as a member of the Solent Rescue lifeboat crew to help save the man who was at risk of being swept away by the torrent of water.

Ian, a senior coxswain with the Lepe-based organisation, was caught up in the flash flooding while combining a holiday with a business trip to Torrevieja on the Costa Blanca.

He told the Daily Echo: “It was quite incredible. But to be honest I had no idea how bad it was until I stepped out of the apartment for a cup of coffee.

“When I turned the corner to go down the street I couldn’t believe the amount of water cascading down, it was like being in the rapids. The roads are like grids so there was water building up at the crossroads. Cars were being moved with the force of it.”

While he was outside Ian noticed a local man struggling to get across the road as he waded knee deep through the rushing water. I didn’t like the look of it as he was already knee deep and then he sort of slipped or tripped on something and down he fell. He was having real trouble getting back on his feet.”

Wearing just his holiday clothes and a pair of sandals Ian, 50, managed to wade out into the road, grab hold of the man and walk him to the safety of the buildings.

“He was grateful, I think if it was any worse it could have been the pair of us being swept down the street. He certainly could have suffered quite serious injury if he hadn’t managed to get up himself,”

added Ian.

The floods that swept through many regions of Spain claimed three lives and causing major damage.

It was reported that in one hour, 40 litres of rain fell per one square metre. Ian, from Basingstoke, said: “It was like the films seen on the news of all this cascading water. It was really quite incredible to watch and the sound of the water was deafening.”