A BARMAN who bet his friends he could swim across the River Thames drowned after a heavy afternoon drinking session, an inquest heard.

Angelo Gnerucci, 20, of The French Horn pub, Gerrards Cross, had about eight pints of lager at a Henley pub before trying to swim the river in May.

He had bet a complete stranger, Eric O'Donovan, of The Close, Henley, to make the swim before he took the plunge himself.

Nicholas Wilson, of Princes Avenue, Watford, said he jumped in to try and save his friend.

He said: "Angelo had been talking about a bet to cross the river. Initially he said he was going to try it and those who bet he would do it agreed to pay him £5."

Mr Wilson said he saw a stranger jump into the river and about 30 seconds later Mr Gnerucci followed him. He added: "The other man looked as if he had done it before but I was concerned about Angelo from the beginning."

His friend tried to get hold of the centre arch on the bridge to rest but kept missing it. He went down and Mr Wilson and another man jumped in to try and save Mr Gnerucci. Mr O'Donovan said he would not have made it had he not grabbed hold of the ledge where he rested, two-thirds of the way across.

He added: "I was very lucky. I realise I would not be here now if I had not rested."

A post-mortem showed death from drowning. Oxfordshire coroner Nicholas Gardiner recorded a verdict of accidental death and said Mr Gnerucci must have underestimated the strength and temperature of the river.

Following the incident, family friend and former employer Fulvio Santucci, said: "Angelo is such a lovely boy. He was like a son to me."