Popular radio host heroically tries to save drowning dog, ends up rescued himself

British radio host Jordan North’s evening jog took an unexpected turn that ended with him needing his own rescue. The Capital Breakfast host was running along the River Thames in London when he spotted a Labrador struggling in the water. His instinct to help led him into a situation that required the intervention of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

A Good Deed Gone Awry

On Dec. 16, around 4 p.m., North noticed a distressed woman near Hammersmith Bridge. "There’s this woman who’s looking a bit distressed," North explained on Capital Breakfast the following day. "Loads of people looking over the edge. I took my headphones out and was like, ‘What’s going on here?’ There’s this dog that’s basically drowning."

Determined to help, North climbed a 6-foot gate and made his way to a small jetty, hoping to pull the dog to safety. "I’m on there on my own trying to grab the dog, with my light on my phone going ‘here boy, here boy,’" he described. "But every time I try to grab him, the currents take him," he said.

As North struggled to secure the Labrador, he was stuck on a beam. That’s when the crowd hanging out above sprang into action, calling the coastguard and shining their phone lights to help rescuers locate him.

A Timely Rescue

Within three minutes, the RNLI’s Chiswick crew arrived on the scene. A video shared by the RNLI captured the moment North and the dog were brought to safety. North later thanked the RNLI on his radio show, saying, "A big thank you and a massive shout out to RNLI Chiswick who came and rescued me because I was getting a bit panicky."

Reflecting on the experience, North admitted he was nervous as he clung to the beam. "I thought my legs are going to go, I can’t hold on much longer, so they got there just in time. The real heroes here are the RNLI who came out and got me, put a blanket around me. They’re the heroes."

Setting the Record Straight

Despite being praised for his bravery, North faced some backlash online, with critics accusing him of recklessly jumping into the river and wasting emergency resources. Addressing these claims on his show, North clarified, "A lot of people have made out like I went into the river, which I would never have done. I just kind of climbed over a fence, a wall... to go to a jetty and get the dog out."

His co-host, Chris Stark, applauded his efforts, saying, "It is a brilliant thing that you have gone and done." But North’s mom, Wendy, was less impressed. "My mum…said, ‘What are you playing at? You could have drowned,’" North shared, per The Daily Mail.

Photo by Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons

The RNLI’s Safety Reminder

While North’s intentions were admirable, the RNLI used the incident to remind the public of an important safety rule: Call for help rather than enter dangerous waters. Thames Commander Gavin Simmons told The Daily Mail, "We’d always encourage people to call 999 and ask for the coastguard instead of entering the water themselves."

A Viral Hero

The dramatic rescue captured hearts online, with social media users hailing North as a hero. The RNLI shared footage of the rescue on X (formerly Twitter), and the story quickly spread, garnering praise and sparking debates about water safety.

In the end, North and the Labrador made it out safely, but the radio host remained modest about the ordeal. "Honestly, I’m not just saying it, it has all been blown out of proportion," he told listeners, as quoted by People. "I just wanted to help the dog."

North’s story is a reminder that while heroism is commendable, safety should always come first.