Rowing coach honoured for life-saving river rescue

David McNeill was presented with the award by Stephen Worley, Honorary Safety Adviser from British Rowing

A rowing coach from York has been given a national award for saving the life of a woman who entered the River Ouse earlier this year.

David McNeill, 43, from York City Rowing Club, was recognised by the Royal Humane Society (RHS) after he swam out to rescue the woman near the club's boathouse on 12 March.

The woman was taken to hospital by ambulance following the rescue.

Mr McNeill said: "I'm quite fortunate, I'm a former British Army officer and so I have been trained on mental health and first aid and as a rowing coach you get trained on how to rescue people from the water and do it safely."

"I saw some ripples on the water and I thought initially it was someone trying to land their boat so I walked up to the side of the embankment," Mr McNeill said.

"First of all I saw a coat and rucksack on the side of the bank and I thought that was a bit weird and then I looked into the water some more and I could see a woman was in the water and struggling.

"I was able to reach her and pull her up just as she was going under."

Mr McNeill received an RHS certificate of commendation, which is awarded "where someone has made a significant contribution to the saving or attempted saving of a life, though their own life was not necessarily at risk".

York City Rowing Club is based close to Lendal Bridge

In the past Mr McNeill has rescued dog walkers who have chased after their pets into the river and been unable to swim.

"The strangest thing I've ever had to rescue was a deer swimming through the river in the middle of York which had been startled," he said.

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