General Chat

Could have been another dreadful tragedy, who decides to build nightclubs and bars next to a river, which has claimed many lives since the bars opened a few years ago!


Woman plucked from river in Norwich


PETER WALSH
04 January 2010 15:00



A former pilot shrugged off Parkinson's disease and ignored icy conditions to pluck a young woman reveller out the River Wensum in the heart of Norwich in the early hours of New Year's Day.

Captain Geoff Burvill saved the life of the 20-year-old, who was slipping into the murky waters after losing her bearings during a night at The Waterfront on King Street.

The 66-year-old, from New Half Moon Yard, King Street, raced to the rescue after seeing the “hysterical” woman going down the track beside the music venue and heading towards the river.

He was on his way home at 1am after seeing in the New Year at the Queen of Iceni pub on Riverside with his partner, Geraldine Joslin.

Mr Burvill, who was honoured by the Royal Humane Society in 1966 for rescuing a six-year-old boy from the water at Dundee Docks, said: “In her condition, with the river as cold as it was, she would have died within a few minutes if I hadn't pulled her out.”

The former Army Air Corps pilot said: “I had a white suit and my pilot's hat on to see in the New Year. We were walking home and the road was a sheet of ice. Taxis were sliding all over the place.

“As we walked past the Waterfront, a girl came out screaming and shouting. She was hysterical. She made for the small cobbled track beside the venue.

“It was very icy and very slippery. I told Geraldine I had to go down there after her. I was walking as quickly as I could on the icy cobbles.”

Mr Burvill added: “I was 40m behind her and she turned left near the river. She was confused and I lost her for a few seconds. It was very dangerous. There were lots of planks of wood that were covered in ice.

“I shouted for her and heard that she was in a bit of a panic. Suddenly I spotted her. She was slipping into the water. I slipped as well as I tried to reach her.”

Mr Burvill, who hails from North Berwick in Scotland, held on to a rope and held out his other hand to the girl, who he later found out was called Sarah.

He said: “She was floundering in the cold water, which was no more than 5C. She was going under and had no way of pulling herself out.

“I shouted 'hold on' and she was in up to her shoulders.

“My right leg slipped into the water and I can tell you it was very cold indeed. I held her hand and tried to pull her out.

“It was extremely difficult. I got her to put her left arm around my shoulders, took my left hand off the rope and somehow managed to use all my strength to pull her out.

“I sat her down at the side and she was shivering. A man from one of the boats came over and his partner came out and she called for an ambulance. She also got some blankets to keep the girl warm.”

Mr Burvill added: “I have Parkinson's disease and take tablets that enable me to have some normality for periods in the day. I don't know how I did it, really. But nobody else looked as though they were bothered.”

Police and an ambulance arrived after the rescue. The woman did not need to go to hospital and is believed to have made a full recovery.

After 12 years in the Army Air Corps, Mr Burvill moved to Norwich to be a commercial pilot in 1981. He got to know numerous celebrities down the years, which included five years flying Formula One drivers to grand prix circuits.

He also often flew members of the Royal Family and celebrities including David Soul, Richard Branson, Noel Edmonds and Spandau Ballet.

On April 27, 1966, he made headlines in newspapers in Scotland when he dived into Victoria Dock at Dundee harbour to rescue six-year-old Kenneth McGregor, who had slipped into the water while playing with friends.

The then Lance Corporal Burvill, 22, dived fully clothed from the stern of The Chub, a Royal Transport Corps motor launch that was berthed at the harbour awaiting army manoeuvres at Buddon Camp.

On July 5 that year, he was given a Royal Humane Society award for the rescue.

What a lovely story, so much doom and gloom, great to see something positive in the news for a change.

Sarah is one lucky girl, and her own guardian angel in Captain Geoff Burvill.

Gail

Hi Gail, great that this man didn't think of his Parkinson's and helped this girl, with other younger fitter people standing by and doing nothing. I have seen the parents of one lad who died in this river in Feb. 2003, the heartbreak it caused because sufficient safety barriers weren't in place. This girl had crossed the new bridge only recently opened and gone close to the water on the other side by the sound of it.
Picturesque on a sunny day, lethal on a cold wintry night after a few drinks!

I hope she has the grace to contact Captain Burvill to thank him and in future will drink less and stay in control.

Lizx

we have had a couple of people drown in the next town to us after coming out of the riverside bars. So I also wonder who give permission to build bars and nightclubs next to a river. In fact hubby was up there shopping a couple of days ago and said he saw the police divers suiting up ready to do a search. Not heard of anybody falling in so maybe they were looking for a weapon rather than a body.

There have been several lads lost here in Norwich over the last few years and all drink / clubbing/ river related if you see what I mean.
And over Christmas or before there were at least three in other parts of the country, one was two hunters trying to rescue their dog, the dog was found safe but the men had drowned.

Where are you LL?

Lizx

You don't have to have been clubbing to fall in a river. We had a woman fall into the River severn when trying to stop her dog slipping in, she too was rescued, this time by a couple who live near where she fell in. It is so cold in the water this time of year, they are lucky to have been rescued.

Bless them all.... the courageous people in the world.
Lovely story.
And here am I 'moaning' about the cold in my centrally heated bungalow!!
What a misery guts am I? lol
Deanna X

You moan away Deanna, nothing worse than being cold. My feet are freezing here, yet the house is warm, probably because I am sitting around, but, having had a tooth out this morning I don't really feel like moving around much. So feet will have to stay cold.

what a lovely man,
how good he was there her guardian angel

he must of looked the part , an officer and gentleman,


well done him,

Ann you have my sympathy.
My feet and I have a bad relationship.
They are always cold.... always!
Ah well, I am so lucky. All I have to do, is reach over and grab a fleece blanket from the box.... and lo' and behold... warm feet.
Does that mean I'm lazy??
D**n right it does.... ;-0)
Deanna X

Oh I know it's not just the drinkers who fall in but they seem to be the main ones, they go missing and are not found till days later sometimes, so awful for their families.

Ann and Deanna, get someone or go out and get some fleecy fabric boots, mine came from Bhs last year but they are in lots of shops, they have a thin flexible sole so fine for indoors, and are so warm, mine come halfway up my leg. I got them last year and asked o.h. to pay for them for my Christmas pressie. They stop any draughts round my ankles and my usually cold feet are as warm as toast, I tuck trousers in if wearing trousers and they look ok with skirts too, toes and ankles are lovely and warm. I wore them every time I was sitting about indoors last winter and now wearing them again this year, mine are a soft grey and the best thing I ever got for the purpose.

Lizx