Crowd watched man drowning in River Ouse ‘and did nothing to help’

Police said bystanders made no attempt to find nearby life rings and throw them into the water

Police at the River Ouse carrying out a rescue of the man who was drowning (North Yorkshire Police)

A crowd of people watched a man drowning in the River Ouse in York last Thursday, but no-one came to his aid, police have said.

The unnamed man plunged into the water behind the Radisson Hotel in the city on Thursday afternoon, but bystanders failed to help despite his shouts for assistance, the force added.

Unconfirmed social media reports suggested that some bystanders took pictures on their mobile phones while the incident unfolded.

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North Yorkshire Police urged people to make use of life rings and other flotation devices (North Yorkshire Police)

In a statement, North Yorkshire Police said: “Would you be a bystander or a lifesaver? Two of our officers saved a man in the River Ouse in York yesterday. They were glad to help… but something they saw made them concerned.

“Crowds gathered on Ouse Bridge and surrounding walkways watching the man struggle to keep his head above water. But nobody had attempted to throw him a life ring. At least two flotation devices were accessible metres from the scene. Fortunately, when we arrived we were able to quickly find a life ring and throw it to the man.”

The man was eventually rescued with the help of North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and the York Rescue Boat and given first aid. He is now in hospital recovering.

Following the incident, the fire service has produced a video about how to use a life ring and urged the public to watch it and make a note of floatation device locations around the river.

They also released body camera footage of officers carrying out the rescue operation, and stressed that anyone witnessing a drowning must phone 999 or call for help.

Police sergeant Toby Gorwood, who helped at the rescue, said: “It’s always worth making a mental note of life ring locations along your local river in case you ever need to help someone in trouble.

“Flotation aids allow you to do this while minimising the danger to yourself, which is also important. Those vital seconds can make all the difference.”