Stephen Gilbert’s quick thinking helps rescue woman from Thames

By Newsmoggie | Wed 23rd October 2013 - 9:47 am

Liberal Democrat MP for St Austell and Newquay Stephen Gilbert has been involved in the rescue of a woman from the Thames while he was attending an event on the House of Commons terrace last night.

Last night he tweeted:

shaken after seeing a body float past House of Commons terrace – she moved, I threw a life-buoy and she’s now been rescued! #Result

— Stephen Gilbert MP (@stephen_gilbert) October 22, 2013

The BBC takes up the story:

The Liberal Democrat said: “What looked like a body just floated past. Then I saw that the person then moved and I followed them down the terrace.”

He threw a lifebelt to the woman, before she was pulled from the river.

The RNLI and Marine Police rescued her from the water near Westminster Pier.

Mr Gilbert said: “There are some lifebuoys on the terrace, I guess this is not the first time something like this has happened.

He added the shock had left him “barely able to string a sentence together”.

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5 Comments

Frank Little 23rd Oct '13 - 10:06am

One of the rare places where there are unvandalised lifebuoys.
Matt Peck 23rd Oct '13 - 1:03pm

Surely she will agree to becoming a party member now?
Malcolm Todd 23rd Oct '13 - 5:31pm

Classic politician’s logic: “she moved, I threw a life-buoy and she’s now been rescued!”

Um — any connection, or were you just doing something well-intentioned but ultimately irrelevant whilst someone else did the important stuff?

Compare: “The economy stuttered, we announced some dodgy housing subsidy/benefit cut/jobs scheme and now the economy’s growing!”
David Evans 23rd Oct '13 - 5:52pm

Or perhaps the typical modesty expected of a liberal. He didn’t say he saved her, just that he may have helped.

Perhaps on this occasion you may be a bit too used to being in auto-cynic mode.
John Innes 24th Oct '13 - 1:30pm

Great job! Sincerely hope you are re-elected in a very tough seat. GBJ.