Hero, 20, died after jumping into the Thames to rescue woman who fell from London Bridge as she screamed ‘help me, I can’t swim’ – despite onlookers begging him not to go in the water, inquest hears
- Folajimi Olubumni-Adewole jumped into River Thames near London Bridge
- He was one of two men who dived into the river to save a woman who had fallen
- Woman was heard shouting ‘help me, I can’t swim!’ at midnight on April 24
- Mr Olubumni-Adewole ignored members of the public advising him not to go in
- An inquest was opened into his death at Southwark Coroner’s Court on Tuesday
Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole, 20 (pictured) was hailed a hero after it was learned he was one of two people who dived into the water just after midnight on April 24 to save a woman, but sadly drowned in the process
A ‘kind and loving’ hero died after jumping into the River Thames to rescue a woman he heard screaming for help – despite calls from onlookers begging him not to go in the water, an inquest has heard.
Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole, 20, ran down steps of London Bridge to the river’s edge before undressing and entering the water after hearing the woman shouting ‘help me, I can’t swim!’ on April 24 earlier this year.
He and another man, Joaquin Garcia, attempted to swim 40 metres to retrieve the panicking woman, but Mr Olubunmi-Adewole then got into trouble himself.
Marine police were able to rescue the woman and Mr Garcia, but Mr Olubunmi-Adewole, known to his friends as ‘Jimi’, was found dead around five hours later.
An inquest into his death opened at Southwark Coroner’s Court on Tuesday.
Assistant Coroner Dr Julian Morris told the court that Nigerian-born Mr Olubunmi-Adewole was on his way home from work at a central London restaurant when he began making his way across London Bridge at around midnight.
Reading a witness’ account, Dr Morris said the two men were seen running before shouting: ‘Where are you?’
A woman was then seen in the Thames waving her arms screaming: ‘Help me, help me, I can’t swim!’
Mr Olubunmi-Adewole was posthumously put forward for a Royal Humane Society award by City of London Police for his bravery and selfless actions’
Pictured: A police boat on the River Thames with London Bridge in the background during the search for the man who jumped into the river to save a woman
The two men then ran down steps towards the river bank and were seen ‘talking to each other and getting undressed’, the court heard.
Dr Morris said the woman was ‘around 40 metres away’ and the witness recalled hearing members of the public ‘shouting not to go in’.
However, they saw a man jump into the water who ‘appeared to be a good swimmer’.
A second man followed ‘five to 10 seconds later’, before he began calling for help himself.
Police officers arrived at the scene and shone their torches from the river edge as a marine unit searched for the trio.
The woman and Mr Garcia were rescued from the water, but ‘the other male was not found’.
A police helicopter was deployed to assist in the search for Mr Olubunmi-Adewole at around 5.45am, five hours after he jumped into the river.
He was subsequently found close to the shore at around 6am and pronounced dead at the scene.
Dr Morris confirmed a full inquest will take place into the death at a date yet to be fixed.
Mr Olubunmi-Adewole was hailed a hero for his daring rescue effort.
It emerged that he was connected to the charity Malcolm’s World Foundation, which was set up by the parents of his cousin Malcolm Mide-Madaiola, a pupil from the same school who was murdered at the age of 17 in 2018 for protecting a friend near Clapham Tube station.
Jimi’s father Michael Adewola, 63, and his mother Olasunkanmi Adewole, 54, said they are proud of their son for trying to save another person’s life – but they are devastated by his death.
Jimi’s father Michael Adewola (left), 63, and his mother Olasunkanmi Adewole, 54, (centre) said they are proud of their son (right) for trying to save another person’s life – but they are devastated by his death
Mr Adewola told The Sun: ‘Jimi was a very nice, kind young man, he was the heart of our family.
‘He was full of live, he had his life to live, he was ambitious and he was so gifted.
‘He was a precious boy, and so respectful and pure-hearted. Sometimes I don’t know how these boys are like this together, he was just something else.’
The grieving father also said he believes his son should be rewarded for his bravery.
‘We want justice for him,’ he said. ‘We want his life to mean something, it will always mean something to us, but he should be rewarded for the bravery he showed, he deserves a medal for what he did.
‘He is a very unique and angelic soul, and I am proud him, so proud, and I want to know the world he is the deepest and most wonderful man.’
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also tweeted that he ‘was the best of us’.
He 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.
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