Skopje Witnesses Daring Rescue

The drama unfolded in broad daylight before the eyes of hundreds of horrified people.

The daring rescuer, whose name and age were not revealed to the public, was riding a bicycle along the river bank when he spotted the unlucky woman drowning.

Witnesses told media that after choosing an appropriate spot he took off his clothes and jumped into the water. He managed to catch the woman right as she was crossing under the old Stone Bridge, a Skopje landmark.

The rescuer managed to pull the woman up onto one of the wide stone pillars of the bridge. The two were forced to wait there for help in the below zero temperatures.

Help came from the people who were gathered on the bridge above them. They tossed them a rope that helped pull the woman up to safety.

While someone tossed him his clothes to warm up as he stood on the bridge pillar, the hero remained barefoot on the cold surface while waiting for more help. The applause for his bravery was the reward that he got from the crowd.

The police said only that the woman was from Skopje and that her condition was good. They could not say whether her drowning was an accident or a suicide attempt.