Jordan North rescued from River Thames by emergency services while trying to save drowning dog
Radio star Jordan North was rescued from the River Thames after he got into trouble while attempting to save a drowning dog.
The 34-year-old, from Burnley, had to be hauled out of the water by a lifeboat crew on Monday (16 December) after he tried to assist a Labrador in distress.
The DJ had headed out on a run along the river bank at around 5pm when he noticed the struggling animal near Hammersmith Bridge in west London.
North stepped from a pontoon and into the River Thames to try and help the dog out - but ended up needing some assistance himself.
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His rescue mission went south when he started 'panicking' in the water while trying to keep himself and the dog afloat.
Thankfully, a passerby spotted the former I'm A Celeb star struggling and raised the alarm.
The lifeboat crew from Chiswick RNLI were conveniently out on exercise close to the location and managed to get there in just three minutes.
North was found positioned on a nearby float lift - with the dog on his lap - while members of the public held up their phone torches to light the way for the rescue team.
Talk about people coming together for a good cause, eh?
He spoke about the alarming incident during his Capital Breakfast show this morning, applauding those who saved him from the Thames.
North branded the RNLI crew 'heroes' and thanked them for their continuing efforts out on the water.
He told listeners: "A big thank you and a massive shout out to RNLI Chiswick who came and rescued me because I was getting a bit panicky.
"I was getting a bit nervy as well, because I thought my legs are going to go, I can't hold on much longer. So they got there just in time.
"The real heroes here are the RNLI who came out and got me, put a blanket round me.
"They're the heroes."
Thames Commander Gavin Simmons was accompanied on the rescue by crew members Sid Blake, Tom Coe and Cameron Crawley.
He said of the incident: "We are on call to help all those who find themselves in difficulty on the water 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, even our beloved pets!
"While we’d always encourage people to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard instead of entering the water themselves, we’re happy that in this instance we were able to help Jordan and the dog safely back to dry land."
So even though North was extremely courageous for diving in after the dog, don't get any ideas about doing the same.
The RNLI urges pet owners to keep a close eye on their animals near large bodies of water, and to alert emergency services as soon as possible if an accident happens.
Moelfre Lifeboat station mechanic Vince Jones previously told Brits: "Although human nature is to help, we strongly advise people not to attempt to self-rescue of animals in the water and leave it to the Lifeboat or Coastguard teams."
Over the Christmas period each year, RNLI lifeboat crews launch more than 100 times, so be careful out there this festive season.
The charity are currently running a Christmas appeal, which you can find out more about here.
Olivia Burke