If you were thinking of doing something dangerously stupid later today and want to live to tell the tale, drink a whole bunch of beer before you get started.

It appears that guzzling eight beers saved a guy from dying after he and a fellow idiot decided to go for an impromptu swim in the freezing waters at Herne Bay in Kent, England. Paramedics say that the lucky bastard was in the water for 45 minutes and instead of croaking, like a sensible person would in the same situation, the beer slowing down his body functions possibly spared his life.

So, the next time someone tells you that you’ve had too much to drink and should be cut off, you can confidently inform them that you’re drinking for your own safety. And when they look skeptical, jump off something really high to prove them wrong.

[Via]