Three hero builders rescue elderly man who fell into Sheffield river

Police, fire crews and ambulance services were all called to the river alongside Nursery Street at around 2.50pm.

The man, aged 67, was pulled from the river by these heroic Sheffield workers.

Chris Smith, 54, and his son, also Chris Smith, 27, were working on a bridge at Bridgehouses Roundabout at about 2pm with their colleague, Joe Breslin, 49, when they saw an elderly gentleman float past them facing upwards.

He was conscious and making noise.

Emergency services lined the river on Nursery Street near Nursery Bridge where the man was rescued.

The builders pulled the old man on to the make-shift pontoon they had been working on.

Chris Smith junior said he was “a little bit shaken” but mainly relieved to have seen the man.

He called the ambulance and within a few minutes it was joined by a fire and rescue crew and police.

The rescued man was taken to Northern General Hospital.

Chris Neal of South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, warned people of the dangers of rivers, especially in the warm weather.

He said: “It’s a fast river with a retained weir 30 yards along. It’s a beautiful day, but these rivers can be clogged with debris.

“The water can be much deeper than you expect and there may be hidden currents, which can pull you under the water.”