Brave trio of cops awarded for rescuing woman from freezing waters …

Three police officers who fought a life and death battle in the fast flowing freezing waters of the River Wye in Hereford, to prevent a woman from drowning, have been awarded top national honours.

PC Jack Davies has been awarded a Royal Humane Society Testimonial on Parchment and PC Tally Hunt and PCSO Adam Westlake are to receive Certificates of Commendation from the Society.

The incident happened on the afternoon of 19 October last year. The three officers responded to a call that the woman was in the water. When they arrived, she was virtually submerged, refusing help and refusing to engage with the officers.

However, the three officers managed to get hold of her by going on to a fishing ledge. But after ten minutes of holding her back from going under water they were struggling to hang on to her.

At that point PC Davies went into the water and stood with the woman holding her back as she tried to get into deeper water. The fire brigade was called and ultimately the woman was removed and treated among other things for hypothermia.

In addition to the awards they are go receive the three officers have also won the personal praise of Andrew Chapman, Secretary of the Society.

“If the three officers had not reached the scene when they did and acted as they did there is little doubt but that the woman would have succeeded in her bid to commit suicide,” he said.

“The three officers did a magnificent job. They showed patience, perseverance and strength of purpose and as a result a life was saved. They richly deserve the awards they are to receive.”

The roots of the Royal Humane Society stretch back nearly 250 years. Other than awards made by the Crown it is the premier national body for honouring bravery in the saving of human life.

It was founded in 1774 by two eminent medical men, William Hawes and Thomas Cogan, with their primary motive being to promote techniques of resuscitation. Today, a variety of awards are made depending on the bravery involved.

The Society also awards non health care professionals who perform a successful resuscitation. Since it was set up, it has considered over 90,000 cases and made over 220,000 awards. The Society is a registered charity which receives no public funding and is dependent on voluntary donations.

References

1. ^{^} Love, war, and legends - Nelson's love nest on the edge of Gloucestershire for sale (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)