A have-a-go hero who died rescuing a woman who was drowning in the Thames shouted “I’ve got to save her, she is not dying” before he jumped in, an inquest heard today.
Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole, 20, was found dead six hours after going into the water near London Bridge in what police described as a “sheer act of bravery” to aid the 21-year-old woman who survived.
Mr Olubunmi-Adewole, known to friends as Jimi, and his best pal Bernard Kosia were walking across London Bridge just after midnight on 24 April last year when eyewitnesses alerted them to the situation.
He soon saw the woman shouting “Help me! Help me! I can’t swim. I am going to die,” and called 999.
The inquest at Inner South London Coroners Court heard Joaquin Garcia, who saw the woman as he changed buses, jumped in first followed by Mr Olubunmi-Adewole jumped five or 10 seconds later.
Mr Garcia rescued the woman but Jimi began struggling almost straight away after jumping in.
Mr Kosia said Mr Olubunmi-Adewole told him to stay on land because he could not swim, which he did.
He told the hearing in a statement which was read aloud by the coroner: “The whole time Jimi was saying ‘I have got to save her.’
“He was very adamant about it. He was taking off his clothes saying ‘I have to save her, she is not dying.’
“The woman was struggling to stay afloat. I could hear her voice and she wanted to be rescued.
“There was clear pain in her voice and she was struggling.
“Jimi turned around and told me ‘you can’t swim. This man and I can, and we are going to save this woman.
“They counted out to three and jumped in. Mr Garcia jumped first and then Jimi jumped.
“I could see Mr Garcia swimming to the person shouting for help.
“Then around two minutes later he was shouting my name shouting ‘jump’. I could hear him shouting out and I could not see him anywhere.
“I couldn’t see him anywhere. My instinct was to jump, but I could not see him anywhere.
“I told the caller I had an overwhelming desire to jump to try and save my friend, but I could not see him anywhere.
“About one minute later I was shouting ‘stay with me bro’ and then at some point I could no longer hear him.
“About two minutes later police arrived.”
