Five Lancashire PCs receive bravery awards for river rescue
- Published
The police constables were chosen from 90 English and Welsh nominations
Five police officers who jumped in a river in Blackburn to help a woman have been given bravery awards.
The Lancashire Constabulary police constables received National Police Bravery Awards for rescuing a woman in July last year.
They were selected from 90 English and Welsh nominations.
Chief Constable Chris Rowley said the officers had shown "courage and selflessness in trying to save the life of somebody in crisis".
PCs Sam Stinchon, Taylor Gregson, Katherine Maxwell, Mike McMahon and Vanessa Fowler were recognised for their bravery at the awards ceremony on Thursday.
The annual awards, hosted by the Police Federation of England and Wales, honours police officers for displaying outstanding commitment to their role, either on or off duty.
The Lancashire Constabulary officers were recognised for their actions during an incident on 21 July 2022, after a man reported that his mother had ended her life and her body was in a river, a spokesperson for Lancashire police said.
Aerial platform
When officers arrived at the scene they had to make their way through grassland and over a wall that had a 10 foot (3m) drop on the other side into the river, where a man was holding a woman above the water.
Officers climbed over the wall and jumped into the water to help the woman before providing first aid and planning how safely to remove her from the river.
A multi-agency approach was decided upon and the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service used an aerial platform attached to a ladder, which was lowered into the river to collect the woman on a stretcher.
The woman was taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital where she was put into a medically induced coma for 10 days - but she died several days later.
Rachel Hanley, Chair of Lancashire Police Federation, said the officers showed "immense courage and bravery" when they entered the water.
"We all are rightly proud of them. They represent the very best of Lancashire Constabulary," she said.
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