Savior jockey George Chaloner hailed as a real-life superhero for rescuing a drowning child
In August 2025, George Chaloner, a former racehorse jockey and current stud manager at Cliff Stud in North Yorkshire, became a real-life hero. The incident took place at Filey Bay, Reighton Sands, during a family holiday on the Yorkshire coast.
While relaxing on the beach with his family, Chaloner heard calls for help and saw a young child, around 8 or 9 years old, struggling in the sea. The child was about 15 or 20 feet away, on his last legs, and was about to go under. Without hesitation, Chaloner, along with another rescuer, swam out to save the child[1][2][3][4].
The two women present at the incident were the child's mothers, but they were deaf and didn't hear the shouts for help. Chaloner managed to reach the child, brought him halfway back, and placed him on a half-bodyboard before bringing him back to shore. Both Chaloner and the rescued child were shaken up after the incident, but thankfully, they both recovered[1].
Chaloner's partner, Daisy Jones, reported the incident on Facebook, praising him as a "real-life superhero," which helped bring wider attention to the incident[1]. Although Chaloner downplayed his actions, stating he did not consider what he did extraordinary, his quick response and courage in an emergency situation outside his professional sporting life reinforce his reputation for bravery both on and off the racecourse.
Before his career as a stud manager, Chaloner was a professional jockey known for his bravery and skill. He is a National Horseracing College graduate who rode well over 200 winners on the Flat before his career was ended by injury in 2017 at the age of 25. Despite not swimming properly for years, Chaloner had some experience with currents from a lifeguard course he took when he was young, which likely played a role in his successful rescue[5].
Chaloner will be back at York next week as the lead horseman, continuing to make a positive impact in the world of horse racing and beyond. His heroic act at Filey Bay serves as a reminder of the importance of quick thinking and bravery in emergency situations, and we can only hope that others would do the same if it were their child in trouble.
[1] https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/local-news/former-racehorse-jockey-called-a-real-life-superhero-after-saving-a-child-from-drowning-1-9986185 [2] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/08/15/former-racehorse-jockey-george-chaloner-hailed-real-life-superhero/ [3] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-58464347 [4] https://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/george-chaloner-hailed-as-a-real-life-superhero-after-saving-a-child-from-drowning/584643/ [5] https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/08/15/george-chaloner-former-racehorse-jockey-hailed-as-a-real-life-superhero-after-saving-a-child-from-drowning
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