From Southwark News: Jimi " who died aged 20 in April last year after jumping into the Thames from London Bridge to save a woman struggling in the water, was a regular at the Salmon Youth Centre on Old Jamaica Road." He lived on the Neckinger Estate.
From BBC: "Folajimi "Jimi" Olubunmi-Adewole, 20, was on his way home from work in April 2021 when at about midnight he went into the water with another would-be rescuer, Joaquim Garcia. The woman and Mr Garcia were saved by the coastguard and marine police but Mr Olubunmi-Adewole could not be found. His body was recovered about six hours later, near London Bridge. The court heard how Mr Olubunmi-Adewole had been walking over the bridge with his friend Bernard Kosia after their shift ended. Mr Kosia said the pair were alerted by two other men to the woman in the water. After hearing the woman screaming out "I can't swim, I'm going to die", they called the police. Mr Kosia's statement said: "Jimi was saying, 'We've got to save her, she's not dying', he was very adamant about this." A post-mortem examination found Mr Olubunmi-Adewole died as a result of drowning, with no other conditions found to have impaired him. Mr Garcia said in a witness statement that the woman was "in the water, splashing around" and calling for help about 100m from the riverbank. Mr Olubunmi-Adewole and Mr Garcia then counted to three and jumped in, with Mr Garcia reaching the woman. Mr Olubunmi-Adewole was not seen alive again."
The Evening Standard adds that the incident happened at about midnight. We thought the men had jumped from the bridge but the plaque in Cathedral Square says they jumped "from this place".
We do hope Garcia's courage has not been overlooked in the grieving for Olubunmi-Adewole.
Our colleague, Andrew Behan, states that from the Find a Grave website we learn that he was born on 16 March 2001 in Nigeria and that his funeral took place at Camberwell New Cemetery and Crematorium, Brenchley Gardens, London, SE23 3RD. His date of birth is confirmed in the England and Wales, Death Indexes, 1989-2021.
