Sergeant shares delight after team receives commendation

16 July 2024

Sergeant Rachel Dowsett, along with PCs Luke Bayliss, Andy Carter, Louise McClue, Mitchell Lewis, Graham Thompson, Sophie Patterson-Lees, Nicola Garrow, Matthew Head, Ami Minto and Rory Simpson, were recognised at the Chief Constable’s Commendations ceremony held at Nottinghamshire Police headquarters in June.

The group worked as a unit to keep the public safe amid treacherous conditions in communities across the county, such as in Worksop and Gainsborough. Their efforts included the evacuation of more than 500 residents in Retford when houses were seriously flooded by the storm last October.

The commended officers with the Chief Constable.

Rachel said: “When the floodwater burst the banks of the River Idle and cut off people’s homes, it became a major incident. Over a couple of shifts, we liaised with the fire service to assess which areas were the most critical.

“In Retford, the water had got up to waist level – it was already too far gone for measures like sandbags, so we had to operate emergency protocol.”

Despite this, the team acted decisively and courageously while retaining a level of compassion for vulnerable residents in particular.

“The logistics were complicated at times, but that didn’t stop us. For example, there was a man with limited mobility in a bungalow at the end of a street, and he was completely cut off. Members of the team waded through the water to reach him and bring him to safety,” Rachel added.

The 38-year-old also reserved specific praise for Luke, who she says displayed tremendous responsibility during the rescues.

Luke revealed he was not only delighted to receive the award but also to be acknowledged by his sergeant.

“It’s really nice to be recognised for what I did. I just knew it was about being there for the public in a distressing time,” he said. “Overall, however, it was definitely a team effort. We were up against it in terms of how many officers were on shift versus how vast the flooded areas were.

“We had to tackle some extreme circumstances and they were like nothing we had seen before, to be honest. In certain parts, I remember the floodwater rising by about a foot in less than an hour. We really had to come together as one.”

This sentiment was echoed by Rachel, who ended by reiterating how impressed she was by the collective response.