Yarra River 'tastes terrible': hero barman

A heroic barman has braved the dark waters of Melbourne's Yarra River to save a drowning man.

The bartender dived into the river after hearing a man in his 30s screaming for help near the Jim Stynes Bridge at Docklands about 11.30pm on Sunday.

The drowning man was pulled from the water unconscious before being revived and taken to hospital in a stable condition.

The bartender said he was glad the man was OK but admitted he hadn't been keen to dive into the murky water.

"I was worried it was going to taste pretty bad and I wasn't disappointed," Matt told ABC.

"It tasted pretty terrible actually."