Officers praised for 'bravery and selflessness' after dramatic rescue

28 April 2023

West Mercia Police Federation has praised the courage of officers who risked their lives to rescue a woman from a car submerged in a flooded ford.

The officers formed a human chain to haul the woman to safety after her vehicle was swept downstream.

Bodycam footage shows the officers linking arms before one smashes the window and pulls the driver from her white Mini.

Incoming branch chair Barry Horton said: “Once again our members have shown immense bravery and selflessness in order to save someone’s life.

“They will play it down and say they were just doing their job but the fact is they put their own safety at risk to ensure this woman survived her ordeal.”

The officers involved have been praised for their courage

He continued: “Police officers never know what dangers they will face when they report for duty but they put their lives on the line on a daily basis to protect people and their communities - they run towards danger when others might run away - and we should never lose sight of that.

“Our members are brave, dedicated and willingly put themselves in harm's way and they should be proud of themselves.”

The Worcester-based officers responded to a 999 call from the driver, who is in her 40s, and found she was already 10 metres downstream and submerged underwater at Walcot Lane ford at Drakes Broughton near Pershore.

Their swift actions meant  the woman was successfully rescued and escaped without serious injuries.