A WOMAN who plunged into the freezing River Adur from a Shoreham footbridge to rescue her friend, spoke today of their brush with death.

Mimi Raouf, 22, of The Meadway, Shoreham, said she feared Sacha Gordon would be dragged under by her heavy Spice Girl-style platform shoes. Mimi said: "We were both struggling to keep our heads above water. The current was really strong and it was absolutely freezing." She jumped in after Sacha, 23, of Connaught Avenue, Shoreham, overbalanced and fell backwards off the bridge at 12.10am on Saturday and plunged into the swirling river 30ft below. Mimi grabbed her pal, who was in danger of being swept away, and they clung to a bridge leg in pitch darkness, screaming for help. Passer-by Mike Milburn heard their cries and dialled 999. Shoreham inshore lifeboat was launched and the Sussex Police helicopter scrambled to rescue them as they struggled for survival. The women were detected by a heat-seeking camera aboard the helicopter, which directed the lifeboat under the bridge, connecting East Street to Shoreham Beach. Lifeboat helmsman Clive Silverson, 35, said: "If we hadn't got there when we did Sacha might not be here now. Two minutes later and she would have gone under." Two crewmen, Simon Tugwell, 32, and Adam Fox, 18, dived into the water to pull the girls, who had been in the water for about 15 minutes, to the shore. The women were wrapped in survival blankets and taken by ambulance to Worthing Hospital,where they were treated for hypothermia. Simon said: "They had obviously had a few drinks, and they told us they were sitting on the railings in the middle of the bridge holding hands."

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