RIVER DEATH: Rescuer tells of desperate attempts to save Hussain (From The Oxford Times)
When It Happens Panel Get involved: send your photos, videos, news & views by texting 'OXFORD NEWS' to 80360 or email
RIVER DEATH: Rescuer tells of desperate attempts to save Hussain
9:35am Sunday 27th May 2012 in News
By Tom Jennings, covering Witney and West Oxfordshire. Call me on 01865 425403
Kayleigh Robbins
A WOMAN told yesterday of the desperate attempts to rescue a 15-year-old drowning in the Thames.
About 20 people jumped into the River Thames on Friday night to try and pull Hussain Mohammed, of Cowley, from the water.
The teenager jumped into the river from Donnington Bridge along with a teenage girl at about 8.30pm.
The girl managed to swim to safety, but Hussain did not. He was pulled unconscious from the water by the fire service at 10.20pm and was later pronounced dead at hospital.
Kayleigh Robbins, 21, of Littlemore, was on the river bank with friends on Friday night and was the first in the water after hearing Hussain’s cries for help.
She said: “I dived in but as I got to him he went under. I dived to the bottom a few times and looked and felt around but I could not find him.
“Everyone was just so interested in finding him. Nobody really thought about anything else - we all just went into overdrive.
“But after it had all happened and they pulled him out I just broke down.
“He was very close to me when he went under and I keep picturing that in my head. I wish I had jumped in a couple of seconds earlier.”
Miss Robbins was treated by the ambulance service for swallowing large amounts of water and the teenage girl who had also jumped into the water was taken to hospital with non life threatening injuries.
Comments(11)
Aggrieved Bystander
says...
11:37am Sun 27 May 12
bart_simpson999
says...
11:44am Sun 27 May 12
Aggrieved Bystander
says...
11:55am Sun 27 May 12
JanetJ
says...
12:19pm Sun 27 May 12
Aggrieved Bystander wrote:It was a Friday evening - how many Police frogmen do you think were even on duty and in any case I am sure the team (if there still is one with the current Police cuts) will be based miles away from Oxford. If you think society can afford to keep trained frogmen on duty 24/7 at every Police station in the country you need to speak to theresa May. Did you jump in and have a try to find the poor lad aggrieved bystander??
I stated before and I repeat, those of us on the Donnington Bridge, still want to know why neither police nor fire crew forgmen were not deployed to search for the tragic victim - the firemen were merely using long poles and dingy oars to poke at the bottom of the river - if police divers had arrived, as did scores of policemen and a helicopter, poor Hussain might have been found long ago - for after all, he was pulled not very far from where he jumped - under the bridge. I am raising this issue, again, so that in future there are procedures in place, to deploy frogmen - we are talking out saving lives - and every minute counts
CSJoxford
says...
12:25pm Sun 27 May 12
i hope you not be stressed out .
you are a better human being then most
He's time had arrived , it needed a reason......
CSJoxford
says...
12:26pm Sun 27 May 12
saffron lady
says...
12:40pm Sun 27 May 12
Aggrieved Bystander wrote:As you have been informed when you made the same comments on the previous reports, Thames Valley Police do not have a Search and Recue Team, they have a Specialist Search and Recovery Team based in Sulhampsted, Berkshire. I suggest you look at The TVP website, which explains in full what this department's role is before you keep apportioning blame to the Emergency Services.
Well, one felt sorry for those brave firecrew who were sent out with long poles and dinghy oars to scour the river for the victim - its not the question of saving lives - its about procedures in place - what are the frogmen for - to sit in police stations?
Annieo
says...
12:48pm Sun 27 May 12
Police are here to fight crime, and Fire and RESCUE are to rescue people
Police have a 'Search and RECOVERY' diving team ('frogmen' as you so knowledgably put it) and they are not there to 'sit in police stations, rather for slow time recovery of objects that may be underwater.
Fire and RESCUE do what it says on the tin and try to Rescue people in water when APPROPRIATE. Using their vast knowledge and experience (i will not go into detail as friends and family of the poor boy may read these comment), the best course of action at that stage was to locate him asap to commence CPR. Due to zero visibility in the Thames, the most expeditious way in those circumstances was just how the Fire officers did it.
Procedures ARE in place and WERE actioned and just because you are ignorant of why everything was done how it was done, does not make it wrong.
In your first post, you stated you arrived after events and emergency services were on scene, therefore you attended to rubberneck at someone else's huge misfortune and to criticise those actually dealing appropriately and professionally trying desparately to save lives. In my opinion, there certainly were persons at scene that were open to criticism, but I'll leave that up to you to work out who.
Annieo
says...
12:57pm Sun 27 May 12
WitneyGreen
says...
1:04pm Sun 27 May 12
xjohnx says...
10:58am Sun 27 May 12