Boat explodes on the river and a peaceful vacation walk turns into a desperate rescue

A brave couple saved the lives of six people after a boat exploded on the River Thames.

Josh Hobbs, 35, and Hannah Lloyd-Hobbs, 34, both jumped into the river to rescue four children and two adults, including an 18-month-old baby, news agency SWNS and other outlets reported. 

The couple said they were in the "right place at the right time" on Saturday, May 31, when they witnessed the blaze - which police described as an act of "heroic bravery."

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The couple were on vacation from Wales, walking their dog just minutes away from the river.

Hobbs told SWNS, "We were less than 10 minutes into our walk, about 100 meters from the river."

He added, "There was an almighty bang, the kind where the air pressure hits your head."

Lloyd-Hobbs initially thought it was a confetti cannon, she said, but her husband suspected a gas barbecue had exploded.

They immediately heard desperate cries from the boat and sprinted toward the scene.

People on the boat "were screaming back to say they couldn't swim," said Hobbs. "We tried to reassure them that jumping in the river was the better of two outcomes."

Some people on board finally took the plunge into the water.

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"One of them was an 18-month-old - Hannah instantly dived in to grab the baby," he said. 

Holding his dog's leash, he shouted for the others to get off the boat while his wife helped the baby onto the bank, he said.

She told SWNS, "I handed the child to Josh before getting out myself."

He then jumped in to help the other children, three of whom reportedly couldn't swim. "I remember grabbing two young children and getting them to the bank, then going back for more," he said.

He noticed a family member desperately holding a three-year-old and said, "I grabbed the child as well."

He also described seeing a woman struggling underwater and pulling her to safety. "I think her husband panicked and grabbed me, too," he said.

Treading water and shouting for help, Hobbs managed to get the three-year-old to another bystander while his wife stayed with the baby. "At one point, I had four people hanging off me," Hobbs recalled.

The explosion was heard for miles, drawing a crowd that helped pull everyone from the water and administer first aid, SWNS reported.

The group felt relief only when air ambulance crews arrived on the scene.

Wiltshire Police confirmed that five adults and four children - who were aged 18 months to seven years - ended up in the water.

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Nine people were hospitalized, with three in stable condition. Some suffered potentially life-changing injuries, SWNS reported.

Detective Superintendent Joe Garrity of the Wiltshire Police Department said, "It is a miracle there were no fatalities … Much of that must be put down to the response of two [vacationers] from Wales who happened to be passing."

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"With no thought for their own safety, they jumped into the Thames to help save the lives of those involved."

Hobbs said they've stayed in contact with police to check on those rescued.

"In the heat of the moment, we just did what we did," he told SWNS.

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Lloyd-Hobbs added, "We hope the families are doing OK and wish them a speedy recovery."