JACQUET RIVER, N.B. _ An RCMP officer in New Brunswick is being credited with saving the life of a canoeist who fell into the icy waters of the Bay of Chaleur on the weekend.

The 45-year-old man could not swim, was not wearing a life jacket and was losing strength when RCMP Corp. Daniel Melanson jumped in and swam toward the capsized canoe.

The officer grabbed the drowning man as he went under the waves about 30 metres from shore.

Police say the rescue lasted only about three minutes.

The unnamed man from Benjamin River, N.B., was later treated for hypothermia.

He is listed in stable condition in hospital

© 2008 The Canadian Press