Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole: Inquest opens into River Thames hero’s death
The inquest into Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole death has been opened. The young man died when he jumped into the River Thames near London Bridge to save a woman.
Mr Olubunmi-Adewole, 20, and Joaquin Garcia both jumped into the river on 24 April after hearing the woman shouting: “Help me, help me, I can’t swim.”
The men were able to save the woman, but Mr Olubunmi-Adewole was found dead almost six hours later, the inquest heard.
An eyewitness told the Inner South London Coroner’s Court that the two men jumped into the river near London Bridge in an attempt to save the woman.
The witness recalled seeing the pair run down some steps to the riverbank before partially undressing and jumping in.
Assistant coroner Dr Julian Morris said: “They then saw one man jump in and swim out to the girl and appeared to be a good swimmer.
“The second male jumped some five to 10 seconds after and then began asking for assistance himself.”
Mr Olubunmi-Adewole, a former pupil at Harris Academy Peckham in south-east London, was posthumously put forward for a Royal Humane Society award by City of London Police for his “bravery and selfless actions”.
An online petition to install a memorial plaque for Mr Olubunmi-Adewole in Postman’s Park, near St Paul’s Cathedral in central London, has reached almost 150,000 signatures.
UK weather: Snow, sleet and strong winds this week
……………………
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND SHARE WTX NEWS WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY:
Facebook – Please like our page
Twitter – Twitter updates available in English and Arabic. Please follow us and we would love to hear from you
Instagram – Follow our pages in English and Arabic
