Radio DJ Jordan North rescued from River Thames after trying to save dog

"I thought, 'My legs are going to go, I can’t hold on much longer'"

Jordan North has been rescued from the River Thames after attempting to save a dog.

The Capital FM DJ and former Radio 1 presenter was out on a run near Hammersmith Bridge in west London at 5pm yesterday (Monday December 16) when he spotted a labrador struggling in the water.

North, 34, then went to try and help by stepping into the river from a pontoon.

However, a member of the public raised the alarm after the I’m A Celebrity… star began panicking. A nearby lifeboat crew were able to reach North within just three minutes.

The DJ was found sitting on a float lift with the dog – owned by a member of the public – on his lap. People held up their phone torches to help locate him.

North spoke about the incident on his Capital Breakfast show this morning (December 17). “A big thank you and a massive shout out to RNLI Chiswick who came and rescued me because I was getting a bit panicky,” he told listeners.

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“I was getting a bit nervy as well because I thought, ‘My legs are going to go, I can’t hold on much longer’. So they got there just in time.”

He added: “The real heroes here are the RNLI who came out and got me, put a blanket round me. They’re the heroes.”

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has also shared a video clip of the moment North was saved and helped onto the boat. You can watch it in the post above.

Thames Commander Gavin Simmons said: “We are on call to help all those who find themselves in difficulty on the water 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, even our beloved pets!

“While we’d always encourage people to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard instead of entering the water themselves, we’re happy that in this instance we were able to help Jordan and the dog safely back to dry land.”

Back in February, North was announced as the replacement for Roman Kemp on Capital Breakfast. He previously presented the drivetime show on BBC Radio 1.

North currently co-hosts the podcast Help I Sexted My Boss with his friend and etiquette expert William Hanson.