His character famously did not survive the sinking of the Titanic in James Cameron's blockbuster movie.

But in real life, Leonardo DiCaprio is being hailed for his part in rescuing a man from drowning while on his Caribbean vacation last month.

A source confirmed to DailyMail.com that the Hollywood star, 45, was on board a boat off the island of St. Barts that successfully located the man after he'd spent 11 hours treading water and pulled him to safety.

Leonardo Di Caprio is pictured in St. Barts on New Year's Eve, hours after helping to rescue a Frenchman who had fallen overboard from a cruise ship and been treading water for 11 hours

The actor, 45, was on vacation in the Caribbean with girlfriend Camila Morrone, 22, and he traditionally sees in the new year on St. Barts enjoying the sun, sea, sand and yacht trips

Interesting: He is seen aboard a boat with girlfriend Camila on December 30 which was reportedly the evening of the dramatic rescue

The dramatic rescue occurred on December 30 when the captain of the boat DiCaprio was on board heard that a Frenchman, 24, had fallen from a cruise ship.

The actor immediately agreed the vessel should divert to aid in the search and after looking for hours in rough water, they spotted the man waving his hands.

The crew was able to pull him from the water just before nightfall as a giant rainstorm moved into the area.

DiCaprio's vessel was the only one looking for the missing man who faced certain death in the middle of the ocean.

In fact, the boat's captain described the successful rescue as a 'one in a billion shot'.

A source confirmed to DailyMail.com that the Hollywood star, 45, was on board a boat off the island of St. Barts that successfully located the man after he'd spent 11 hours treading water and pulled him to safety

The actor immediately agreed the vessel should divert to aid in the search and after looking for hours in rough water, they spotted the man waving his hands

The crew was able to pull him from the water just before nightfall as a giant rainstorm moved into the area

DiCaprio's vessel was the only one looking for the missing man who faced certain death in the middle of the ocean

DiCaprio was on board a boat when the captain heard of the man overboard and immediately agreed they should go search for him. The crew searched for hours in rough water before finally spotting the man in the middle of the ocean and pulling him to safety

Like many celebrities, the star of The Revenant and Inception spent the period between Christmas and New Year soaking up the sun in St. Barts.

He was accompanied on his trip by girlfriend Camila Morrone, 22.

Now one of the top stars in Hollywood, DiCaprio was catapulted to global fame as the tragic Jack Dawson opposite Kate Winslet's Rose in 1997's Titanic.

Following the sinking of the doomed transatlantic liner after it hit an iceberg, Jack sacrificed himself in order to save Rose, refusing to clamber on board a makeshift raft on which she was able to escape the freezing ocean water and subsequently perishing.

At Sunday's Golden Globes in LA, DiCaprio's Once Upon A Time In Hollywood co-star Brad Pitt joked about the classic scene from Titanic.

After accepting the award for best supporting actor for the Quentin Tarantino film, Pitt thanked DiCaprio, calling him 'an all-star' and 'a gent' and adding: 'I wouldn’t be here without you, man.'

Pitt then quipped: 'I would’ve shared the raft.'

The Titanic star was back in LA to attend the Golden Globes on Sunday where his Once Upon A Time in Hollywood co-star Brad Pitt joked 'I would’ve shared the raft' in reference to the demise of DiCaprio's character Jack Dawson in the James Cameron blockbuster movie

Following the sinking of the doomed transatlantic liner after it hit an iceberg, Jack sacrificed himself in order to save Kate Winslet's Rose, refusing to clamber on board a makeshift raft on which she was able to escape the freezing ocean water and subsequently perishing

St. Barts is DiCaprio's go to place to see in the new year with friends.

He has been spotted at the upscale resort in past years spending time with BFF's Lukas Haas and Tobey Maguire as well as previous girlfriends like Toni Garrn and Nina Agdal.

Before heading to the Caribbean, DiCaprio and Morrone, who's former stepdad is Al Pacino, enjoyed a ski vacation in another celebrity-friendly resort - Aspen, Colorado.

The couple, who've been linked since 2017, spent their days Christmas shopping and hitting the slopes.

DiCaprio was back in good time though for the official kick-off of the Hollywood awards season that started with Sunday's Golden Globes.

While he didn't win a Golden Globe this time around, he has a slew of awards shows to go to after being nominated for best actor for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood by the Screen Actors Guild, the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the UK's BAFTAs.

He's also almost certain to receive an Academy Award nomination when they are announced this coming Monday.

DiCaprio has been nominated five times for an Oscar winning the trophy in 2016 for The Revenant.

Going strong: DiCaprio and Morrone, pictured in Cannes last May, have been linked since 2017 and enjoyed a snowy ski vacation in Aspen, Colorado, before heading to St. Barts