Passer-by jumps into Brindleyplace canal to save drowning six-year-old

A Birmingham man is being praised for jumping into a city centre canal to rescue a six-year-old boy who was drowning near the National Sea Life Centre.

Lukan Griffith had just left friends at a café in Brindleyplace when he heard screaming from the canal. He threw off his coat, went into the water fully dressed and swam the child back to the towpath, with the boy tucked under his arm.

The rescue happened at around 5pm on Friday 23 October, off Canalside Walk at Brindleyplace.

"Please help my son"

Mr Griffith told Birmingham Live: "I'd just left some friends in Cafe Nero Brindleyplace and walked towards the canal way by the Sealife centre when I heard a lot of women screaming."

"I ran down to the canal and there were two women panicking and screaming. I didn't know what was going on until one said 'please help my son - he's drowning'."

He found the young boy in the middle of the canal. "So I threw my coat off and left my other clothes on including trainers thinking 'I can walk across', but no it was deep," he said.

"I had to swim over and swim with the little boy under my arm. I got him to the side and he was helped up. A guy helped me get out by reaching out his arm."

Cold, wet and on his way home

He said the boy was "crying and shivering" and had swallowed water. Mr Griffith stayed for around ten minutes after paramedics were called, then walked home. "I had to go. I was freezing cold and wet. I am local from the area so walked home," he said.

The ambulance service said it was called to reports of a patient in the water on Broad Street at 5.05pm and sent an ambulance. Crews found a man, who was assessed and discharged at the scene, and were told that a second patient had already left.

A reminder about water safety

Birmingham's canals are one of the city's great assets, drawing visitors to Brindleyplace, Gas Street Basin and the Mailbox all year round. But the water can be deeper and colder than it looks, as Mr Griffith found when he expected to be able to wade across.

Water safety charities advise that anyone who sees someone in trouble in the water should call 999 straight away, and throw something that floats if it is safe to do so. Going into cold water is dangerous even for strong swimmers.

Families walking along the towpaths with young children are also reminded to keep them close to hand near the edge, especially as the evenings get darker.

On this occasion, a quick-thinking passer-by made all the difference, and a family was spared the worst.