The family of a 20-year-old who tragically died after jumping in to the River Thames to rescue a woman have paid tribute to their “hero”.
Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole entered the water at around midnight on Saturday after spotting a woman fall from London Bridge.
A GoFundMe fundraiser to support his family is nearing £50,000, double the £25,000 target, with more than 3,000 people donating towards the funeral costs and support for the family.
His father Michael Adewola, 63, told a newspaper that his son, known as Jimi, deserved a “medal” for the “bravery” he showed by diving into the river with a friend in a bid to save the woman.
“He is a very unique and angelic soul, and I am proud him, so proud, and I want the world to know he is the deepest and most wonderful man,” Mr Adewola said.
He added: “He is a hero, and always will be, I can’t bring him back but I want him to be remembered forever for what he did, it was just like him to want to always try and help others.”
Friend Bernard told Sky News: “There’s a woman that’s just jumped aboard, we can hear the woman screaming ‘help me, help me, I’m gonna die’.
“Instantly Jimi looked at me and I said, ‘all right, we can look for her’. But we couldn’t see her, it was pitch black.”
City of London Police previously said two men had entered the water after witnessing the woman fall from the bridge. The coastguard and the Metropolitan Police’s managed to reach the woman and one of the men, but could not locate the other despite an extensive search.
A body, believed to be that of the missing man, was found later, but formal identification is yet to take place.
