A support worker has been praised for his quick-thinking and bravery after helping save a distressed woman from drowning in the River Ouse in York.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, June 29, near the Ouse Bridge. Samuel Efejuku, a Scarborough-based carer originally from Nigeria, was sitting by the riverbank when he noticed a woman in visible distress entering the water.
“I was in total shock,” Mr Efejuku recalled in an interview with The Press. “I was just sitting next to the bridge, taking a moment before heading to work, and suddenly I saw her go into the river. I started shaking.”
He immediately sprang into action. After spotting the woman struggling in the water, Mr Efejuku grabbed a flotation ring from its holder nearby and tossed it toward her.
“She was shouting, ‘I can’t swim, I can’t swim. I don’t want to die,’” he said. “I just did what I could in the moment.”
According to Mr Efejuku, the woman clung to the flotation device in the cold river for about 15 to 20 minutes before emergency services arrived. He remained close, providing what help he could until responders took control of the situation.
Emergency crews guided the woman to safety using a ladder and brought her out of the river. She was then placed in the care of paramedics, who conducted a medical check-up.
North Yorkshire Police later confirmed that the woman was recovering well. In a statement to The Press, a police spokesperson said: “Police were called at around 4.15am on Sunday, June 29, to reports of a woman in the River Ouse near Ouse Bridge in York.
“A member of the public assisted the woman with a flotation device and held on to her while another person contacted emergency services. The woman was successfully rescued and handed over to the ambulance service.”
The force also expressed appreciation for Mr Efejuku’s selfless act, acknowledging that his quick response was likely lifesaving. “Our thanks go to the man who helped save the woman from the river. His actions were lifesaving,” the spokesperson added.
Mr Efejuku explained that he had arrived early in York for his 7am shift at Mencap and chose to rest briefly by the riverside before walking to his workplace in Huntington. A married father of three, he described the emotional toll the event had on him.
“It was so sad for me,” he said. “I was trying to follow the safety guidance from the emergency teams, but honestly, I was in shock. I kept imagining what her parents would have felt if she hadn’t made it out alive. I couldn’t stop picturing someone hearing their daughter had been found in a river—it just broke my heart.”
Despite the harrowing nature of the incident, Mr Efejuku remained humble about his role, saying simply, “I was there at the right time.”