British pensioner who tried to swim to a cruise liner when it left port without her is rescued a third of a mile out to sea clinging on to her HANDBAG

A British holidaymaker has been rescued from the Atlantic after apparently trying to swim to her cruise liner when it left port without her.

Susan Brown, 65, was pulled from the ice-cold waters in the early hours of Sunday with severe hypothermia after more than four hours swimming a third of a mile out to sea in the hope of making it to her ship, the Marco Polo.

She is thought to have jumped into the water from beside Madeira Airport after believing her husband Michael - with whom she had argued - had got back on board when she lost sight of him.

The pair had cut short a 32 day tour from West Indies on day 28 - with cruise operator Cruise & Maritime Voyages offering them flights out of the Portuguese island to fly back to Bristol on Saturday evening.