Dog walker who jumped into freezing river to save woman thought she was mannequin

Upon realising the woman was alive the father-of-one took off his coat and dived into the water

A man has been hailed a hero after he jumped into a freezing river to save a woman he at first thought was a mannequin.

Colin McGarva, 31, was taking his dog for a New Year’s Day walk along the River Severn in Worcester when he noticed a woman floating down the stream.

The business owner initially thought it was a mannequin lying motionless in the water, but as he looked closer he realised it was a real person.

Despite the flood warnings in place and the imminent arrival of Storm Henk, Mr McGarva dived into the water to rescue her.

“I looked closer and realised it was a real person,” the father told Worcester News. “I thought she was dead. I was shouting ‘hello!’ But there was no response. I saw her move slightly. Her eyes opened.

“That’s when I realised she’s not dead. I looked around but nobody was around. I tried to flag down a car. It didn’t stop.”

He promptly removed his coat and grabbed a safety ring while flagging down a fellow dog walker who also fell as her dog pulled her.

Swans in Worcester after the river Severn burst its banks on Tuesday (PA)

Describing the rescue, he told the local paper: “The water was freezing. I just had to do it. There was no second thought. I am absolutely fine though I’m getting a bit emotional talking about it now.”

He said another dog walker helped him get the woman out of the water near the bridge before the emergency services arrived on the scene.

West Mercia Police said they were called to the area following reports of a person in the river but the person had already been helped out of the water.

Flood defences were deployed to protect businesses and homes along the river severn on tuesday (Getty Images)

A spokesperson for the West Midlands Ambulance Service also said that by the time they arrived at the scene, the woman had been helped out of the water.

A spokesperson said: “[the woman] was assessed by ambulance staff and conveyed to Worcestershire Royal Hospital for further assessment. A second woman who was a bystander had sustained minor injuries, she received self care advice from ambulance staff before being discharged at the scene.”

The UK went into the New Year overwhelmed by Met Office-issued weather warnings for both rain and wind.

Pictures showed towns along the River Severn deploying flood defenes as the river burst it’s banks on Tuesday.

There are currently still over 600 flood warnings and alerts in place across Britain as of Wednesday morning as Storm Henk battered areas on Tuesday.

A severe flood alert, meaning a danger to life, was in place for the River Nene in Northampton, which warned of deep and fast-flowing water at the Billing Aquadrome and nearby business parks