Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole: Inquest opens into River Thames hero's death

Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole was posthumously put forward for a Royal Humane Society award by City of London Police

An inquest has opened into the death of a man who jumped into the River Thames near London Bridge to save a woman.

Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole and Joaquin Garcia entered the Thames on 24 April after hearing the woman shouting: "Help me, help me, I can't swim."

Inner South London Coroner's Court heard the men were able to save the woman.

But 20-year-old Mr Olubunmi-Adewole was found dead almost six hours later, the inquest was told.

The inquest heard that an eyewitness saw the two men jump into the river near London Bridge in an attempt to rescue the woman.

The witness recalled seeing the pair run down some steps to the riverbank before partially undressing and jumping in.

The woman fell from London Bridge at about midnight, the inquest heard

Assistant coroner Dr Julian Morris said: "They then saw one man jump in and swim out to the girl and appeared to be a good swimmer.

"The second male jumped some five to 10 seconds after and then began asking for assistance himself."

Mr Olubunmi-Adewole, a former pupil at Harris Academy Peckham in south-east London, was posthumously put forward for a Royal Humane Society award by City of London Police for his "bravery and selfless actions".

An online petition to install a memorial plaque for Mr Olubunmi-Adewole in Postman's Park, near St Paul's Cathedral in central London, has reached almost 150,000 signatures.