Hero pensioner jumps into the Thames to save girl, 7, from drowning

A quick-reacting pensioner jumped into a treacherous stretch of the River Thames to save a young girl from drowning. 

Hismet Smakaj has been praised for his bravery after he entered the water in East London to pull the seven-year-old to safety. 

The 65-year-old and his wife had been walking in Thames Barrier Park after a shopping trip near their home in Newham when he spotted the girl sitting on a metal railing by the river.  

As they walked past, she jumped into the water a few feet below, at which point the grandad stripped off and followed after her. 

Hismet’s son, Euklid Smakaj, told Metro: ‘As they were walking through the park my dad saw this little girl climbing the fence before sitting on it and looking at the river. 

‘He stopped and looked at the girl to make sure she was alright.  

‘He took about three or four steps on and she’d jumped in.

‘She was drowning.  

‘My dad didn’t even think, he took his tracksuit off and jumped in.  

‘He swum about five metres out, he could just about see the girl’s hair because she was sinking, the water was really high, and he grabbed her. 

‘He brought her to the wall of the riverbank. He grabbed a piece of metal hanging out of the wall and hung on to it.

‘His hands were all cut up but he held the girl there.  

‘She was saying to him “let me go” and screaming and my mum was screaming “help, help” because she couldn’t see where my dad was.’ 

A large crowd gathered by the riverside as the drama unfolded at around 5.30pm on Saturday, May 17.

Hismet, who is originally from Albania, was stuck under a ledge with the girl as people above tried to find a way to get them out of the water.  

The crowd threw a lifesaving ring down to him but the rope snapped before several of the bystanders helped them to climb out at some stairs a short distance along the bank.  

Euklid, 36, a security officer from Essex, told Metro that the girl was checked over by paramedics who had arrived at the scene.

‘There were about 200 people gathered around along with the police, ambulance and fire brigade,’ he said.  

‘They were all clapping and saying my dad is a hero.

‘One man about my dad’s age shook his hand and said thanks, we’re assuming that was the girl’s dad.  

‘The girl was treated in the ambulance and afterwards the crew said she was autistic.’ 

The water at the Thames Barrier is considered dangerous because of powerful tides, eddies and undertows, cold water and sewage discharges.  

‘My dad really is a hero, we’re all very proud of him,’ Euklid said.

‘He just reacted on instinct at a dangerous place in the river where there are strong currents, thinking nothing of his own safety.

‘At first, my mum thought he had drowned as well.

‘He’s a really good swimmer and he’s confident, back home in Albania he saved two soldiers from drowning.  

‘But what he did wasn’t easy, he really didn’t care even if he died saving the girl.’ 

Hismet explained that he acted on instinct as the emergency unfolded.  

‘I have got children and grandchildren so the moment I saw the girl I knew I had to act,’ he said.

‘I was prepared to do whatever it took to get her out of the water.’ 

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: ‘We were called at 5.21pm on Saturday, May 17 to reports of a person in the River Thames near the Thames Barrier. 

‘We sent ambulance crews, a paramedic in a fast response car, an incident response officer and members of our Hazardous Area Response Team to the scene. 

‘We treated a child and took her to a major trauma centre as a priority.

‘We also checked over a second patient but discharged them at the scene.’ 

The London Fire Brigade said that it had sent three engines and two rescue units to support emergency services at the scene. 

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