Heroic teens, 15, recall moment they jumped in to save drowning man as dad-of-five died trying to help
TWO heroic teenage boys jumped into the River Thames to save the life of a man who had got into difficulty while swimming.
Jack Staunton and Ralph Sewell, both 15, dived into the water at the beauty spot to help the swimmer after he failed to resurface.
The brave teenagers had been relaxing with a group of friends at Odney Weir, in Cookham, Berks., on Tuesday when the tragedy hit.
The body of dad-of-five Eyad Al Ryabi, who is also believed to have jumped in to try to save his friend, was found by emergency service teams at the scene on Wednesday.
His friend, in his 30s, who has not been named, was rushed to hospital where he remains in a serious condition.
Eyad moved to the UK from Syria towards the end of last year to try to make a better life for his family, his relative said.
Both boys describe seeing a group of men jumping into deep parts of the water in jeans and t-shirts.
Jack, from Maidenhead, told The Sun: “They were part of this big group, all swimming and messing around like we were.
“One of them jumped over the Weir, and got sucked in. We are pretty sure he was knocked unconscious under the water and he didn’t come back up again.
“Ralph and I saw what was happening and we climbed over and started trying to pull him out.
“His friend also climbed over and tried to pull him out, he was unconscious.
“We were telling them to pull his head out of the water, and Ralph was trying to do that and had a hold of him and was swimming alongside him.
I’ve been going there for a long time and nothing like this has ever happened before
“His friend then lost his grip on him and he started getting pushed down the river because of the current.
“A fisherman jumped in and helped us to grab him and pull him out to put him on the side of the river.
“That was when someone else started to perform CPR on him, the ambulance service were telling them what to do on the phone.
“I tried to do CPR but I wasn’t strong enough so I asked for help.
“After all of this another one of his friends had tried to save him by grabbing the lifeguard ring and diving in.
“We were all focusing on the first man we didn’t realise the second one had been swept away.
“Because my friends and I go there quite a lot we know to avoid the middle of the river because of the hotspots.
“But these guys didn’t know where they shouldn’t jump and got sucked into the current.
“I’ve been going there for a long time and nothing like this has ever happened before.”
Ralph added: “A group of us were at the weir and suddenly I heard the guys screaming, three of them were in the water and one was unconscious.
“They were trying to get him out, and when I heard the screaming I jumped in and climbed down the weir and tried to help them pull him out.
“His head was really under the water, his friend seemed to lose his grip on him and he went even further under the water.
“As he went down the river someone helped us to get him on the bank and then an older guy performed CPR on him.
“I’m glad he’s alive, I know he’s in the hospital but I hope he is okay. There was a lot going on at that moment.
“The part that they jumped into was probably the most dangerous part of the weir, we did try to find his friend but we didn’t want to risk it when we know what the currents are like.
“It’s generally a pretty safe place to go and swim but I don’t think we will be going back there again.”
HERO TEENS
Both boys jumped back in to try to save Syrian refugee Eyad after he had also tried to save his pal.
Other members of the Syrian community in West London also travelled to the riverbank after learning their friend, 31, who lives in Uxbridge, had gone missing.
Jack's mum Nicola Thomas said: “It’s heartbreaking for the boys to see all of this, and for the family of the man that it’s happened to.
“I didn’t know whether to shout at Jack or hug him at first, because he’s put himself in danger jumping in but I am proud of him.
“They definitely saved his life, there is no doubt about that.”
The tragedy came as temperatures soared to around 30C on Tuesday as Britain's heatwave continues.
Officials from the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service said crews were at the riverside for almost three-and-a-half hours.
A spokesman said: "We are urging residents across Berkshire to take care near water.
"As the warm weather continues, it may be tempting to swim in open water, but there are many dangers involved.
"One of the main risks when entering the water is cold water shock, even if the weather is warm.
"You also do not know what is beneath the surface – there could be unseen currents and reeds, which could pull you under.”
LPA Commander for Windsor & Maidenhead, Superintendent Colin Hudson, said: “Officers have been working tirelessly with our partners to locate the man who entered the water yesterday, and have now tragically found a body.
“We are grateful for the support we received from both Berkshire and Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Services, South Central Ambulance Service, and Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue.
“I would also like to thank members of the public who provided information as well as assistance to my officers.
“I would like to thank them for their patience while officers investigated this incident, and we will be leaving the scene shortly.
“I am very sorry to have to bring this sad news.
“Our thoughts are with both men’s families during this very upsetting time.”
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