Capital FM’s Jordan North rescued from River Thames after saving dog
The broadcaster said he was "getting a bit panicky" before the RNLI came to his aid.
By Nick Reilly
Radio DJ Jordan North was rescued from the River Thames yesterday after trying to save a struggling dog.
The Capital FM Breakfast Show host, 34, entered the brisk waters near Hammersmith Bridge, west London, after spotting the dog, but explained he soon became “panicky”.
A nearby RNLI crew, who were out on a training exercise, were soon flagged down by members of the public and reached North and the dog within a matter of minutes.
“A big thank you and a massive shout out to RNLI Chiswick who came and rescued me because I was getting a bit panicky,” North said on the radio this morning.
“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,” he added.
North, who was seeking refuge on a float with the dog on his lap, was rescued by Thames Commander Gavin Simmons and his crewmates Sid Blake, Tom Coe and Cameron Crawley.
Video footage of the rescue shows members of the public lighting up the area as the rescue boat approaches. A crew member is then heard asking: “That’s what’s-his-name off the radio, isn’t it?”
“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,” Mr Simmons said.
“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.”