A muscular hero who saved a woman from drowning has told how he leapt into the River Thames after she screamed: ‘I can’t swim!’
Genci Gestila was sitting on a pub garden bench having a drink with a friend when he noticed someone falling from nearby Kew Bridge, west London, into the river.
Alarmed, he rushed to the river bank and called out to a woman who was bobbing up and down in the water.
But the 21-year-old year waiter told MailOnline he knew he had to act when he saw the woman disappear under the surface.
The muscular hero (above) who saved a woman from drowning in the River Thames can be revealed as Genci Gestila who told MailOnline how he leapt into the water after she screamed: ‘I can’t swim!’
Mr Gestila (pictured left with friends) was sitting on a pub garden bench having a drink with a friend when he noticed someone falling from nearby Kew Bridge, west London, into the river
The 21-year-old former soldier (pictured while carrying out national service in Greece) said he knew he had to act as soon as he saw the woman disappear under the surface
He said: ‘I called out to her and she replied; “I can’t swim”. I could see she was going under so I jumped in.’
Mr Gestila, who served in the Greek army, took off his shoes, t-shirt and took his phone and wallet out of pockets and dived into the river to save her.
He said: ‘She was in the middle of the river. It was very deep, I could not touch the bottom.
‘She was in terrible shock because the water was so cold. Her head was going under the water.
‘When I got to her she said she couldn’t breathe so I grabbed hold of her and pulled her to the river bank.’
Onloookers described how Mr Gestila emerged looking like Daniel Craig in a James Bond movie. Pictured: Craig in a scene from Casino Royale
He was helped by his friend Marvin Andrada, 27, who was with him having a drink when they spotted the woman and also jumped into the water to bring her to safety.
Onlookers described how bare-chested Mr Gestila emerged from the water ‘looking like Daniel Craig’ from a scene from a James Bond film.
But the modest fitness enthusiast, who is of Albanian origin but a Greek citizen, says his military training prepared him for his heroic act.
He spent nine months carrying out national service, stationed in Sparta, Greece, and the island of Samos, also in Greece.
He told MailOnline: ‘I was in the Greek Army and I learned how to deal with this sort of thing.
‘We jumped into frozen lakes so this was nothing for me. I have trained for this kind of thing.’
He added: ‘I didn’t really think about how the cold water would affect me. I just wanted to save the girl.’
However Phil Hardy, 52, who is visiting London from New York described Mr Gestila’s bravery.
He told MailOnline: ‘It was such a dramatic moment, the man – who is in his 20s – showed remarkable bravery.
‘There were about four people looking into the river and it was all very mysterious as to what was going on.
Mr Gestila, who served in the Greek army, took off his shoes, t-shirt and took his phone and wallet out of pockets and dived into the river to save her. He said: ‘She was in terrible shock because the water was so cold. Her head was going under the water’
Onlooker Phil Hardy, 52, who is visiting London from New York described Mr Gestila’s bravery. ‘It was such a dramatic moment, the man showed remarkable bravery. He needs to recognised – he was so brave and the pub landlord came out with a pot of tea – it was incredibly British’
A Met police spokesman said they were called at 10.30pm on Wednesday night after reports that a woman in her 20s had fallen in the water. Police helped the woman to safety
Mr Gestila was helped by his friend Marvin Andrada, 27, (above) who was with him when they spotted the woman and also jumped into the water to bring her to safety
‘We could all see the flashing lights from a police boat and seven police cars, as well as an ambulance arrived on the scene too.
‘The next thing we saw was the strapping man coming out of the water with his top off and he started walking towards us.
‘He looked like Daniel Craig in James Bond and an officer said to him “you’re a hero”.
‘He was a normal guy and was nonplussed about the situation.
‘The man needs to recognised – he was so brave and the pub landlord came out with a pot of tea – it was incredibly British.’
He Gardy added: ‘The woman could have died in the water and the guy, who was a specimen of a man, saved her life, there is no doubt in my mind about that.’
The landlord of the riverside Bell and Crown pub gave Mr Gestila a pot to tea to warm up after his escapade.
Then the modest hero calmly took the bus home – still dripping wet following his rescue.
He told MailOnline: ‘I had a cup of tea to warm up and then I just hopped on the bus in my wet clothes. I don’t live very far so it was ok.’
He added: ‘I just hope the young woman gets well soon.’
Mr Gestial said his military background had prepared him: ‘I was in the Greek Army and I learned how to deal with this sort of thing. ‘We jumped into frozen lakes so this was nothing for me. I have trained for this kind of thing’
The landlord of the riverside Bell and Crown pub gave Mr Gestila a pot to tea to warm up after his escapade. Then the modest hero calmly took the bus home – still dripping wet following his rescue
The modest hero (posing with a sports car in London) added: ‘I just hope the young woman gets well soon’
A Met Police spokesman said: ‘Police were called at approximately 22:20hrs on Wednesday, 18 October to Kew Bridge, Chiswick, following reports of a person having jumped into the water.
‘Officers attended along with colleagues from the London Ambulance Service.
‘The person, a female aged in her 20s, was pulled from the water by members of the public by Strand-On-the-Green, near the Bell and Crown pub.
‘She did not suffer serious injuries and remains in hospital.’