A first year jumped into a river last night looking for Owens Park

Greater Manchester police branded the incident ‘an extremely stupid stunt’

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Police were called to Pritchard Street, near the River Medlock last night after a confused student, apparently lost on his way back to Fallowfield, jumped 20ft into the river below.

A security officer working nearby came across the student in the early hours of this morning after the student was heard shouting that he wanted to get to his university halls.

The student, who is unnamed but otherwise described by Greater Manchester police as “20-years-old, white, wearing a parker coat, of thin build, with a beard and light brown hair,” rebuffed the security officer’s attempts to help him, swearing at the security officer before jumping into the water.

The police, fire brigade and ambulance services were called to the scene in an attempt to find the jumper – who could have caused great harm to himself with the stunt.

A police helicopter was also called, but luckily the student was found by a team of paramedics and police divers before it arrived, who entered the river via a ladder.

The student was found at around 1.50am “covered in mud” but otherwise unharmed and returned to Fallowfield in the care of a housemate.

Greater Manchester police branded the incident “an extremely stupid stunt,” wasting the valuable time of the emergency services, not to mentioning endangering the student’s own life.