THE best friend of missing swimmer Daniel Reid has spoken of his desperate attempts to save him from drowning in the sea at Great Yarmouth.Barry Curtis struggled for up to 15 minutes to rescue Mr Reid, who disappeared while in the sea off the North Beach.

THE best friend of missing swimmer Daniel Reid has spoken of his desperate attempts to save him from drowning in the sea at Great Yarmouth.

Barry Curtis struggled for up to 15 minutes to rescue Mr Reid, who disappeared while in the sea off the North Beach.

Unemployed catering worker Mr Reid, 25, who lived in Cobholm, Yarmouth, was swept away just a few feet from the beach on Thursday, August 6.

Mr Curtis said: “I was in the sea and facing the beach and heard Dan calling my name and looked round to see him disappear.

“I grabbed hold of him but we were both going under, then I felt the water pulling Dan away from me.

“I was pulled under with him, but managed to come to the surface and then he was gone.”

Unemployed courier Mr Curtis, who shared a house with Mr Reid, collapsed with exhaustion after managing to swim back to the beach, where he was treated by paramedics.

A massive search involving the police, coastguard and lifeboats from Gorleston and Caister, was launched after Mr Reid went missing - he still has not been found.

For the full interview, read The Mercury or log on to yarmouthmercury24.co.uk on Friday.