Suffolk Special Constable nominated for National Bravery Award

15 May 2024

A volunteer police officer who risked his life rescuing a vulnerable woman from the sea in freezing and hazardous conditions has been shortlisted for a national bravery award.

Special Constable Kyle Scott said ‘it was a natural reaction’ to pull the woman to safety after spotting her face down in the water off Felixstowe.

Wearing his full police kit, Suffolk Police Federation member Kyle waded into the water up to his waist, braving ice-cold water, and treacherous and windy conditions to save the woman.

He dragged her out of the sea and then, with the help of members of the public, away from the water to safety.

Now he has been nominated for a Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) Bravery Award.

Kyle said: “It was just a natural reaction to go into the water to try to save her.

“In the role police are in, we’re there to protect others.

Special Constable Kyle Scott.

“You see someone in trouble, you don’t take into consideration your own safety you just go into autopilot.”

The incident happened at around 9.20pm on 7 March, 2023. The weather was cold and blustery with temperatures around -2C and the sea, which was at high tide and described as treacherous.

Kyle, who is part of the Suffolk Police Roads Policing, was on patrol in Ipswich when the call came in of a high-risk missing person.

He headed to Felixstowe seafront to cover the beach and sea where he saw the woman face down in the water, and risked his life to save her.

Entering the sea at high tide in his full kit, Kyle risked his own life to save the woman.

“It’s only afterwards that you think you could have got taken out to sea yourself,” he said.

“It was very cold, and I didn’t know what the sea and the currents were doing.

“We carry a lot of kit, wear stab vests. In hindsight, you’d want to take some of that off, but you go into autopilot that you’ve got to help someone and it takes over.”

The woman was unresponsive and Kyle struggled to drag her out of the sea. He got her to the water’s edge but was unable to get her further up a sand and shingle bank until he was helped by members of the public.

Between them, they dragged the woman to safety and provided first aid and tried to keep her warm until paramedics arrived.

Kyle worked as a 999 call handler at the time of the incident and now works in the custody suite as a civilian investigator, as well as his Special Constable duties.

He said: “I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. It gives you a big sense of pride.

“I think it’s the way the police work. We go in to work, put the uniform on and we get on with it.

“We’re there to serve and protect and that’s what we did. There’s never any hesitation.

“You go to work every day and you know that you might well have to help people out of a sticky situation.

“To know that, had I not been there at that time and acted and did what I did, it could’ve ended very differently is humbling.

“It makes you proud to put on that uniform and serve the public.”

Darren Harris, Suffolk Police Federation chair, said: “Kyle acted in the best traditions of policing, displaying incredible bravery to rescue this woman from the freezing cold sea.

“He can be immensely proud of his actions on that night, along with those of passing members of the public, which I'm sure have saved this woman’s life.

“His nomination for a national Police Bravery Award is hugely deserved.”

The annual National Police Bravery Awards are organised by the Police Federation of England and Wales, with this year’s ceremony taking place on 11 July in London.