Three Kent Police officers nominated for the 2021 National Police Bravery Awards

3 November 2021

Three quick-thinking Kent Police officers who made a makeshift hoist from their uniform belts to rescue a man stranded in a quarry have been nominated for The National Police Bravery Awards

PCs Jodee Tubby, David Gillham - and an officer who cannot be named for operational reasons - were called to a disused cement works in Northfleet in March 2020 having received a call about a man’s welfare.

On arrival, the officers could see the man was hanging precariously on the edge of the quarry with a 50-foot drop below him.

They quickly tried to reassure him that they would be doing everything they could to help him and get him back to the safety of the clifftop.

Incredibly the officers realised they would have to use creative ways to get to the man, so they removed their belts and linked them together to make a makeshift hoist so they could lean over the cliff edge and attempt to pull him to safety.

Another officer positioned themselves at the foot of the drop, ready to help should the man fall.

Despite their ingenuity, the belts were only strong enough to secure the man’s position, and they couldn’t be used to pull him up the cliff.

Another officer managed to get a length of thick rope from a nearby resident, and they eventually used this to get the man to safety and to the medical care and attention he needed.

Kent Police Federation Chair Neil Mennie said he was in no doubt the officers had saved the man’s life.

Neil said: “This was bravery. This was ingenuity. This was basically really great, dynamic and heroic police work.

“The man in question was obviously very distressed, and on the bodycam footage from the incident, you can hear the officers are continually talking to him and reassuring him.

“They used all their resourcefulness to secure him using their belts before pulling him to safety.

“It was quick thinking, professional policing which saved his life.”

The National Police Bravery Awards honour officers from across England and Wales who have performed outstanding acts of bravery while on or off duty.

As nominees, the trio will attend an awards ceremony in London in December.

The National Police Bravery Awards are sponsored by Police Mutual.