Jogger Craig races to the rescue at river
He saves drowing woman during his lunchtime run
A hero jogger leapt 20 feet into the River Clyde to rescue a drowning woman yesterday.
Craig Calderwood, 36, from Johnstone, sprang into action after spotting the victim in Glasgow city centre.
The electrician was running next to the water when he spotted a commotion.
He explained: “A young woman was in the water and a group of folk who had been passing by had thrown in life-rings and were shouting to her.
“She looked in a bad way and couldn’t get hold of the rings, so I jumped over the barrier and down into the water.
“I swam over to her and got her onto a ring and over to the side where there was a ladder going back up onto the walkway.
“The police arrived and gave her blankets and took her into the back of a van.
“I didn’t see her going into the water, but others were saying that she had climbed up onto the railing and then just dropped down in.
“She seemed in a bad way. I hope she is okay.”
The drama unfolded at around 1pm afternoon as office workers were enjoying their lunch by the river walkway.
One onlooker said: “It looked like a young girl in her 20s. She just climbed over and the next minute she was in the water.
“There were people trying to help. I think there were three liferings in the water, but she wasn’t getting to them.
“The next thing this jogger just jumped in and rescued her.
“You have to hand it to him, she could easily have died if he hadn’t taken action.
“Afterwards he just put his hat on and jogged off along the Clyde as if nothing had happened.”
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “We received a report at around 1.22pm on Tuesday regarding a woman who had entered the River Clyde near to the King George V Bridge.
“The woman was rescued from the water by two males and is safe and well.
“She was treated at the scene by ambulance staff.”