Everyday heroes

Bystander apathy is a myth

- Amelia Hill

It was early on 1 January last year when Colin McGarva dived into a flooding river in Worcester to rescue an unconscious woman.

McGarva said he didn't think twice about the risk to himself, or the loss his newborn son would suffer had he too been swept away by the fast-flowing, icy waters.

"I didn't stop to think because the instinct - the instant reaction - is to help someone in need," he said. "Someone's life is an important thing. Helping is just something you have to do."

The concept of heroism was widely discussed last week after stabbings on a high-speed train from Doncaster to London. While initial reports told of panic and confusion as passengers - some hurt - ran through the carriages, stories of heroism soon emerged.