SAVING a man from drowning and rescuing a bloodied badger is all in a week's work for sports fanatic Chris Beardsmore.

The 23-year-old was busy inside Harbour Sports shop in Paignton Harbour when a worried man burst in to say another man was in difficulty in the water.

Chris, who has been working in the shop since he was 15, said he rushed out only to find an elderly man clutching to the side of his yacht.

He said: "It seems the man had been trying to climb from his dinghy into his yacht but slipped and his dinghy capsized.

"The boat was full of water and the man was wet and fully clothed and was struggling to pull himself out of the water."

Chris said a lot of people were watching the man from the harbour walls but no-one was making a move.

He added: "I asked if anyone was going to go and help. They said a boat was on its way but I reacted on instinct and ran into the shop.

"I grabbed one of the hire kayaks from the shop and went into the water."

Chris paddled across the harbour and gave a hand to the man and helped him onto another passing boat.

Chris, who has just completed a business management degree from the University College Plymouth St Mark and St John (Marjon) in Plymouth and will soon go to Exeter for a Masters degree, said as a local lad who loved water sports and surfing he knew what it was like to fall in the water.

He added: "Most people panic and get into shock. It was just nice to jump in and help."

The harbour rescue happened on Wednesday last week but it was not the only incident Chris was involved in.

Two days later, Chris found himself helping the RSPCA rescue a badly injured badger off the rocks below Roundham Head.

A holiday maker warned Chris about the distressed animal. When he reached to badger he found it covered in blood and in a bad state.

He called the RSPCA and the badger was taken away but unfortunately it had to be put down.

Chris said: "The badger had a lot of blood on its back. The RSPCA man said it had been attacked by other badgers and fell down the cliff trying to get away from the other badgers.

"We carried the badger across Fairy Cove to Paignton Harbour. It was quite a load as badgers are quite heavy.

"I guess it is all in a week's work. But it doesn't happen like that all the time."