Hero students leap into river to save drowning woman... as police officers REFUSE to help



Three students were hailed as heroes last night after rescuing a drowning woman - as police stood by and watched.



Graham McGrath, Rosie Lucey and Rhys Black were walking beside the Albert Bridge in Glasgow when they saw the 37-year-old in the River Clyde, shouting for help.

Mr McGrath and Miss Lucey jumped in and pulled her to the bank. Mr Black then waded in and dragged all three ashore.



Brave and fast-acting: Graham McGrath, Rosie Lucey and Rhys Black (not pictured) helped save the life of a woman drowning in the River Clyde

But as the courageous trio performed the dramatic rescue, Strathclyde Police officers held back worried onlookers on Glasgow's Albert bridge.

A Strathclyde Police spokesman said: 'It is not the responsibility of the police to go into the water - it's the fire and rescue service.'



The trio, who are all 18-year-old first-year students at Glasgow University, yesterday recalled the rescue, which happened at around 1.30pm on Saturday.

Mr McGrath said: 'There was a woman in the water shouting for help. There was somebody throwing lifebelts to her, but she couldn't get to them.



'It became apparent nobody was doing anything else. She was getting lower and lower in the water.'

Miss Lucey said: 'We realised we were watching someone drown.'



After dragging the woman to the bank, the three teenagers carried out CPR to revive her.



Earth sciences student Mr Black said: 'She'd been under the water for two minutes. Her lips were blue and her tongue was white.

'We couldn't find a pulse anywhere but we kept on going. She eventually gurgled and a lot of water came out of her mouth.'



Moments later, the emergency services arrived and the woman was taken to hospital. It is understood she is recovering.



Police Superintendent Fiona McPherson said: 'We congratulate the actions of these very brave individuals. They managed to get to her moments before the emergency services arrived.'

George Parsonage of the Glasgow Humane Society, who has rescued 1,500 people from the river, said the students' actions had been 'heroic'.