Hero pensioner jumps into the Thames to save girl, 7, from drowning

Hismet Smakaj acted fast after spotting a child jumping into the River Thames (Picture: Hismet Smakaj)

A quick-reacting pensioner jumped into a treacherous stretch of the River Thames to save a young girl from drowning. 

Hismet Smakaj has been praised for his bravery after he entered the water in East London to pull the seven-year-old to safety. 

The 65-year-old and his wife had been walking in Thames Barrier Park after a shopping trip near their home in Newham when he spotted...