Bridgnorth man tells of River Severn rescue

A Bridgnorth man has told our video team of how he held onto a woman for 20 minutes in the freezing River Severn this week.

Gary Markevics did not hesitate in jumping into the water in Bridgnorth on Tuesday evening to save the woman's life after hearing her cries of distress coming from the riverside where she had fallen.

Mr Markevics was in the river for about 20 minutes keeping the woman's head above water while his wife went to get help from nearby residents in Washbrook Road.

He was one of two heroes who went into the river to save the woman. Private Andrew Simpson, a solider on leave, also helped the woman, who had fallen into deep water and was tangled in floating branches.

Private Simpson, from Danesbridge, Bridgnorth, who serves with the Mercian Regiment, waded in up to his shoulders to help rescue the woman, who was about 10ft from the riverbank and semi-conscious.

Both men are to be formally commended by the fire service for their actions.

Frightened Catherine Markevics, of Sabrina Road, said she feared her 56-year-old husband, Gary, would drown as he struggled to keep himself and the lady afloat 'despite his rugby physique'.

"We were walking our jack russell puppies having just got back from Cardiff at around 9.15pm when I heard a strange sound coming from the river bank," she said.

"He was walking just a little bit behind me but I called him back because I thought I could hear something coming from the river.

"We realised someone was in there and without thinking Gary stripped his jacket off and went straight in up to his neck, while I held the two dogs under my arms.

"He was trying to pull her in but he was surrounded by all the roots and trees. She kept slipping underneath his arms but he wouldn't let go and held her up. He kept saying: 'You're not going on my watch'."

Fearing for his safety, Mrs Markevics ran up the bank looking for help from nearby residents.

"I was beginning to get hysterical crying out 'Gary, please do not drown' because I had a young brother who drowned, so I was terrified about what could happen," she said.

"A man then climbed over some ladders and across a big tree but Gary couldn't grab on because his arms and legs had gone numb.

"Another man then held on to the woman while Gary climbed out of the water – I was shouting for someone to get him a blanket because he must've been in the water for 20 minutes."

She added: "We know the lady was a local woman because we've seen her by the riverside before. She even said 'goodnight' to us in a cheerful way when we walked past."