Firefighters carried out a riverbank rescue early today after a man jumped into the Ouse from Ouse Bridge in York.

He was the third man to make the leap into the icy waters from the bridge in less than 36 hours.

The incidents come only a month after an inquest into the death of Gerald Battle, who died trying to swim the river nearby.

The coroner warned at the time of the "appalling dangers" associated with the river.

A police spokesman said today it appeared "silly season" had come early.

The man in today's incident, named as Andrew Reeves, 27, of Acomb, was taken to York District Hospital suffering from the effects of cold, and a stranger who tried to come to his aid also had to be plucked to safety.

Police and fire crews were called to Ouse Bridge at around 1.25am.

They arrived to find Mr Reeves clinging to the riverbank near Yates's Wine Lodge. He was secured with a line lowered from the bridge, then picked up and taken to safety by the water rescue unit.

The police spokesman said today that in another incident, two youths had been "suitably warned" after jumping from the bridge at 7pm on Thursday.

They were stopped by police as they emerged from the water at Kings Staith.

"All the safety concerns that apply in midsummer are heightened in winter months because of the added dangers of severe cold and stronger currents," the spokesman warned.

Mr Reeves was discharged from hospital early this morning.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.