'I am no hero', says man who jumped into River Lee to save drowning woman

Mohammed Khathiri said he only did 'what any human being would do'

Mohammed Kathiri beside the River Lee in Cork City, where he saved a woman who fell in. Pictures: Chani Anderson

A father of four who jumped into Cork's River Lee to save a woman after she fell in has insisted he is “not a hero” and only did "what any human being would do".

Mohammed Khathiri, originally from Morocco, happened to be looking out his bedroom window when he spotted a woman sitting by the wall at George’s Quay at about 1pm last week.

The 44-year-old said as he was watching, he saw the woman “disappear” — and quickly realised she had fallen into the river.

“I did not even think, I ran down all the way from the top floor of the building I live in, to the river,” Mr Khathiri told the Irish Examiner.

“It took me between 20-30 seconds before I jumped into the river to help the woman.

“She was struggling to hold onto the barriers. It was very deep and cold, and I swam over to her before grabbing her under her shoulders and holding onto her,” he said.

Mr Khathiri said it was at that moment, after he got hold of the drowning woman, that he knew they were in “safety”. 

George’s Quay, where the woman entered the water. Picture Chani Anderson.

He said he then swam some 4m to 5m before a passerby threw a lifebuoy to them. By that stage, emergency services had been alerted and were also at the scene.

Mr Khathiri, who works night shifts as a cleaner, described himself as a good enough swimmer, who began swimming as a child in the river near his home in Morocco.

“My mother would always scold me for swimming in the river,” he said.

“But I am no hero,” Mr Khathiri said of his dramatic rescue.

It’s just important to save humanity, to be human, and the only way I was able to do it was to run down and get her to safety.

“There is a difference between a few minutes and a few seconds, and every second counts,” he said.

“I thank everyone who has called me a hero, but I only did what anyone should do, what any human being would do,” he added.

Second officer for Cork City Fire Brigade Victor Shine said units attended the scene of the incident and helped the woman from the river before she was taken to hospital via ambulance.

Mr Khathiri arrived in Cork City two years ago and started learning English. He says he now has a great number of Irish and non-Irish friends. He said the people in Cork have been lovely and he is enjoying his time here.