Jordan North rescued from River Thames while saving drowning dog: ‘Got there just in time’
Capital FM DJ Jordan North was rescued from the River Thames after attempting to save a drowning Labrador near Hammersmith Bridge in west London.
The 34-year-old radio personality and former I’m A Celebrity contestant found himself in difficulty after entering the water on Monday night.
Members of the public alerted nearby Royal National Lifeboat Institution crew (RNLI), who were fortunately conducting an exercise in the area at the time of the incident.
The rescue team managed to reach North and the dog within three minutes, finding them perched on a float lift as onlookers used their phone torches to help locate them in the darkness.
North had been out for a run when a woman approached him about her dog drowning in the river.
He stepped onto a buoyancy pontoon to try and help the struggling animal, describing how he attempted to grab the dog while using his phone light.
“Every time I try to grab him the currents take him,” North recalled, adding: “I manage to grab the dog, he’s panting and crying. His legs have gone and he’s so tired and been fighting this current for ten minutes.”
As North’s own strength began to fade in the water, concerned onlookers spotted his predicament and flagged down the RNLI Chiswick crew who were conducting exercises nearby.
Speaking on Capital Breakfast the following morning, North expressed his gratitude to his rescuers: “A big thank you and a massive shout out to RNLI Chiswick who came and rescued me because I was getting a bit panicky.”
The radio host admitted he was struggling to hold on: “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,” North added.
Video footage released by the RNLI captured the moment of rescue, with one crew member heard saying: “That’s what’s-his-name off the radio, isn’t it?”
Thames Commander Gavin Simmons led the rescue operation alongside crew members Sid Blake, Tom Coe and Cameron Crawley.
The RNLI team emphasised the importance of public safety around water.
“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,” Simmons said.
The crew advised against entering the water in similar situations: “While we’d always encourage people to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard instead of entering the water themselves.”
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Watch as @ChiswickRNLI rescue @CapitalOfficial Breakfast host Jordan North when he got into trouble in the River Thames after he went to rescue a dog struggling in the water.
Jordan called the crew ‘the real heroes’ after they brought him and the pup to safety 💙 pic.twitter.com/oEenV3CxIu
— RNLI (@RNLI) December 17, 2024
They concluded: “We’re happy that in this instance we were able to help Jordan and the dog safely back to dry land.”
Following the drastic scenes, fans rushed to social media to praise North and the RNLI crew.
“Good on him for jumping in to save the dog. He clearly is a good guy,” one poster wrote.
Another declared: “What a hero!”
“Well done Sir for saving the dog,” a third commended.