Ouse Near Miss: Alcuin Rugby Team Save Life

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Heroic York students saved a man from drowning in the river Ouse in the early hours of Wednesday morning, after he had fallen in near The Lowther pub.

The man, thought to be in his mid-twenties, is believed to have separated from his friends to relieve himself by the Ouse. He was spotted by a group of women, who sought for help in the nearby Alcuin Rugby Team, dressed for the occasion as roman centurions and highland warriors.

Pictured from left to right: Matthew Sherring-Lucas, Alex Lusty and George Nunn

Three representatives of the Alcuin Rugby Team, George Nunn (President), Matthew Sherring-Lucas (Vice-President), and YUSU Activities Officer, Alex Lusty (Member) explained exclusively to Vision how the night unfolded:

“We were on a social that night”, explains Lusty, “we went to Lowther our third bar that night, and for some reason they didn’t accept our student ID so we left.”

As they were leaving, the Rugby boys saw “two women messing around with a life-ring on the other side of the river, which was an immediate red flag”, according to Sherring-Lucas. Initially, the boys thought that that they were tampering with the life-ring and went to tell them to stop.

Edit: The women, who didn’t wish to seek named credit, approached Vision clarifying how they noticed the splash of the man who jumped in the river, called the police, and attempted to throw the buoy across the Ouse before Alcuin Rugby’s intervention, agreeing Alcuin Rugby’s rapid response played a key role to the man’s survival.

The two women shouted “there’s someone in the river”, and suddenly they noticed “a bloke just clinging on to the side”, hanging on for dear life as the water reached up to his chest.

Bouy outside Lowther, overlooking Queen’s Staith

The team, according to Lusty, “instinctively switched on and snapped into focus”, allocating tasks almost instantaneously. Nunn attempted to calm the two revellers, and called the emergency services, while Lusty, Sherring-Lucas, and others sprinted across the Ouse Bridge to Queens Staith, where the endangered stranger was still holding on, unable to move because the river’s icy temperature.

“It was like something out of a film,” Lusty recalls. The players tried to grab the man’s hand, but he was too far away from the riverbank to reach. When the team members were able to reach the casualty, they struggled to pull him out, because he couldn’t use his legs and was held down by the river’s rapid currents.

Eventually in the nick of time the Rugby lads “managed between the four of us to haul him out”, explains Sherring-Lucas. First Aid trained Sherring-Lucas jumped into action, putting the man into recovery position until the ambulance arrived and the man could be taken to safety.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police confirmed the incident to Vision, saying in a statement:

“We were called to reports that a man in his 20s had fallen into the river at Queen’s Staith in York, at about 12.30am on Wednesday 15 March 2017. He was assisted from the river by passers-by and checked over by paramedics.”

The women who initially spotted the man were told by emergency services that he was going to be
treated for shock and hypothermia.
Queen’s Staith as seen from Ouse Bridge

However, the modest students were reluctant to take credit for their acts of heroism, telling Vision “it could have been anyone, we were just in the right place at the right time.” Nunn, the team Captain, said he was proud of Alcuin Rugby Boys’ actions that night, joking that “It’s good that our sprinting regimes worked out, this must be the first match Alcuin Rugby have won all year!”

Whilst the team haven’t succeeded in college competitions, it’s clear that their team spirit was was a key to their success in this match against life and death.

Later, Alex Lusty recounted the story to Minster FM:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KhXmt2V_FM]

A spokesperson for Lowther confirmed the bar was not aware of this incident, but that incidents like these happen all too regularly, telling Vision an intoxicated gentlemen had to be saved from the river on Sunday the 12th.

River-safety charity, York Rescue Boat have praised the quick-thinking members of the team, saying “from the sounds of it… the students did a great job” by rescuing the unknown reveller from near death in the Ouse.

They urge York revellers not to enter the river under any circumstances, saying it risks cold water shock which has a debilitating effect, even on the strongest of swimmers.

“We’d urge anyone on a night out to have fun but please stay away from the rivers, and keep an eye on their friends to make sure everyone gets home safe.”

YUSU President, Millie Beach, told Vision she was “proud of the heroes that are our very own Alex Lusty and the Alcuin rugby team,” but warned students “never place yourself at risk to attempt rescuing another person”; Beach added: “Not all students wear capes, some wear Alcuin rugby kits!”

Over the last few years the City of York Council have done much  to improve river safety in York, investing £100,000 on river safety improvements such as chain link fencing and high-vis lifebelts.

Schemes such as Nightsafe, York Rescue Boat, and the Don’t Drink and Drown Campaign were set up as a direct response to Ouse & Foss fatalities such as the tragic deaths of students, Megan Roberts and Ethan Peters.

However, some argue more still needs to be done.

Alcuin Rugby point out that they would love to welcome new members next term.

Were you the man involved in the incident on 00:30, 15th March on Queen’s Staith? Alcuin Rugby Team and the women involved would love to get in contact. Email [email protected] to get in touch.

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