A man was badly injured after he jumped off the 'Ponte Romana' in Tavira into the river Gilão early on Sunday morning.
The man was escaping a group of men who already had attacked him after an argument had developed.
"He fell into the river and was injured with some seriousness. The emergency teams responded immediately to the incident, aided by some people in the area," explained the Tavira Bombeiros, adding that "the victim was assisted at the secne by the Bombeiros and an INEM emergency medical team."
The victim had become involved in a fight with a group of men who had punched him about the head. He ran off and jumped into the river where he remained hidden until the attackers left.
The man only left his watery hiding place, when he heard friends calling for him sometime later.
Luckily, his friends already had called for help. The victim was taken to Faro hospital suffering from hypothermia.
