Eyad Al Ryabi is still missing after jumping in the River Thames in Cookham to help his friend on Tuesday evening
Emergency services are into the second day of a desperate search for a father-of-five who is feared to have drowned after jumping into the Thames to save his friend, who is now fighting for his life in hospital.
The 31-year-old man, named as Syrian refugee Eyad Al Ryabi, dived into the stretch of river by the village of Cookham, Berkshire, when friend Mohammed Al Safadi got into trouble on Tuesday evening.
While he failed to resurface, Mr Safadi managed to be pulled out of the water by friends but he was unconscious and need CPR before being rushed to hospital in a serious condition.
The pair had been part of a group of six friends who had travelled from Uxbridge in Middlesex for an afternoon by the river.
Omar Sawayah, who was among friends and relatives who headed to Cookham once the alarm was raised, said: ‘Mohammed decided to dive into the water but got into difficulty.
‘Eyad dived into the water to try and save him but nobody saw him resurface and he hasn’t been seen since.
Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue teams were out on Wednesday as the search continues to find a man who jumped into the water to save a friend on Tuesday evening
Eyad Al Ryabi, dived into the stretch of river by the village of Cookham, Berkshire, when friend Mohammed Al Safadi got into trouble on Tuesday evening. A search continues to day
‘Somehow Mohammed drifted unconscious to the bank where some of his other friends pulled him out the water.
‘There was another group of people,I think locals, who tried to help resuscitate Mohammed before the paramedics came and took him to hospital.
‘Eyad came here from the city of Daraa in Syria about eight months ago. He was a refugee living in Uxbridge.
Mohammed Al Safadi was pulled from the water but search teams continue to look for Eyad Al Ryabi
Crews were out on the water in Berkshire on Tuesday as they searched for the Syrian refugee
‘He and his friends had come out to be by the river for the day as it was such nice weather. The others who didn’t go in the water have gone to the local police station.’
A friend told how all the men, including Eyad, had travelled to the UK from Syria and many of them had families back home.
Eyad was applying for his family to come to the UK. His wife was due to attend an interview with the embassy in Beirut, the friend said, in just two weeks time. It was feared now, with her husband’s death, she would not be able to come to the UK.
Connor Godfrey, a 27-year-old chef from London, told how he had given Mohammed Al Safadi CPR after he was pulled from the river.
The young man, who was fishing, had first aid training from his work place and so heroically stepped in as he felt the CPR was not being properly given by people.
Police joined search teams in Cookham after they were called at aroudn 7pm on Tuesday
Police Commander for Windsor and Maidenhead, Superintendent Colin Hudson, said: ‘We are carrying out searches today to locate the missing man which includes searches on the banks of the river and in the water using specialist resources.
‘One man remains in hospital in a serious condition. Our thoughts are with both the men’s families and our officers are supporting them at this very difficult time.’
A third man who jumped into the water was unharmed, according to the BBC.
According to the Evening Standard, Mr Safadi remains in hospital in a serious condition today.
Rescue crews raced to the Thames on a stretch close to Odney Weir in Cookham, near Maidenhead, just before 7pm.
A spokesman for the South Central Ambulance Service said they were supporting Thames Valley Police and firefighters at the scene.
Police today had enlarged the police cordon at the river to prevent onlookers watching them searching for the missing man’s body. It was expected that specialist dive rescuers would be called in if they didn’t discover the missing man quickly.