Lifeguard pulls Gorbachev out of troubled waters

, reported that Gorbachev, 69, "was not a bad swimmer, but this time he overestimated his strength and swam too far out". His daughter, Irina, and granddaughter, Anastasiya, called for help and "a modest Costa Rican dragged one of the most famous political actors in the world out of the water", it said.

It said he was well after the incident and had only a bruise on his knee. The Moscow-based Gorbachev Fund could not immediately be contacted for comments. The newspaper said Gorbachev, who took over as Soviet leader in 1985 and battled against the conservative wing of the Communist Party, was in Costa Rica to give a lecture.

Hailed abroad for his role in ending the Cold War a decade ago, Gorbachev has become a marginal figure at home, though the death of his wife, Raisa, last September prompted a wave of sympathy from Russians, raising his public profile.