Gloucester police officers praised for water rescues

Det Insp Rory Ainslie and Sgt Matt Puttock jumped into dangerous waters to save vulnerable missing people

Two officers who risked their lives to save vulnerable missing people in dramatic water rescues, have been commended by the force.

Det Insp Rory Ainslie from Gloucestershire Police rescued a woman from a dangerous, fast-flowing river.

A week earlier, Sgt Matt Puttock was almost submerged as he pulled a second woman out of a canal to safety.

Chief Constable, Rod Hansen, said he was "proud" of the the pair who were "exceptional".

He added: "The consequences for these vulnerable missing people and their families could have been devastating if it weren't for our officers."

Both incidents happened in March whilst the officers were on duty.

Det Insp Ainslie was part of a large-scale search for a very vulnerable woman who was located in thick mud on a riverbank on Sandhurst Lane.

Canal rescue

As officers attempted to get her to safety, the woman entered the fast-flowing water of the River Severn with the detective jumping in after her.

Det Insp Ainslie said: "Lots of people have told me how dangerous that was but if I hadn't she could well have drowned.

"I grabbed her and managed to get hold of a tree, otherwise it could have been interesting."

A week earlier, Sgt Matt Puttock was attending a report of a vulnerable disabled woman in Gloucester, found in canal water at Monk Meadow Dock.

He entered the canal in water up to his neck, to pull the woman to safety.

"In an ideal situation Rory and I wouldn't have had to take these actions but our assessment was that the risk to the people we were trying to help was so high we had to act straight away or it would have been too late," said Sgt Puttock.