THE FATHER of Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole has called on the government to honour his son’s bravery and sacrifice.

Known to his friends as Jimi, the 20-year-old jumped into the River Thames on Saturday night, with a friend to rescue a woman who had fallen in.

He was on his way back from a work shift at The Cinnamon Club, an Indian fine dining restaurant at around midnight when he saw the woman in distress.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Jimi’s father Michael Adewola said: “I want the government to honour him and appreciate him because Jimi was a good son to me.

“He’s the breadwinner of the house, always taking care of me and my wife and the friends.”

Michael sat beside his wife, Jimi’s mother, who was visibly distressed.

Members of the public have also joined the campaign, with some writing to nominate Jimi for the George Cross award for bravery posthumously.

The George Cross Award for bravery is the highest award that the British government can give to people for non-operational gallantry, according to Wikipedia.

If you would like to nominate Jimi for the award, you can do so by clicking this link.

Olubunmi-Adewole’s body was recovered from the water six hours after he tried to rescue the woman who had fallen in. She has since been discharged from hospital.

In the past, the brave man had been a student at Harris Academy in Peckham. The school’s principal Rebecca Hickey said they hoped to work alongside his family and find a way to pay tribute to Olubunmi-Adewole’s life.

Students and staff at the school held a two minute round of applause in his honour.

Vivek Singh, executive chief at The Cinnamon Club where he worked described him as a selfless team player, and said everyone at the organisation was reeling from the loss.

If you would like to donate towards Olubunmi-Adewole’s funeral costs and help support his family, you can do so here.