Life-saving West Mercia trio nominated for National Bravery Award

16 May 2024

Three West Mercia Police Federation members who acted courageously to rescue a woman from a submerged car have been nominated for the National Police Bravery Awards 2024.

Constable Tom Simmonds, Sergeant Lee Baker and Sergeant Shannon Murphy will all represent the Federation at July’s annual Awards ceremony in London, where they will be recognised for their actions in a rapidly-worsening situation at Bow Brook, Worcestershire last year.

On the morning of 25 April last year, emergency services received a desperate call from a woman who had driven into a flooded ford amid heavy rainfall. Various rescue services were dispatched, however it was the three officers, all nearby at the time, who arrived at the scene first.

“The initial brief may have been to calm and reassure the caller while waiting for assistance in extracting her from the car,” said Shannon. “Even before arriving at the ford, though, it became clear the circumstances were critical. In a matter of minutes, I went from being told the water was at her ankles to being told it was at her neck.

Constable Tom Simmonds, Sergeant Lee Baker and Sergeant Shannon Murphy.

“I remember saying to my student colleague, ‘if we’re there first, we’re getting in there.’”

Upon locating the car nose-down in the brook, Tom disregarded treacherous conditions and immediately entered what he described as ‘more like a river’. With the volume of water inside the vehicle disabling its electrical system, Tom set out to smash the driver-side front window and pull the woman out in a race against time.

“She was getting down to the last pocket of air – the car was already almost fully submerged. I’m just glad we weren’t far away when we were first alerted,” said Tom.

According to all three officers, it was only their collective effort that meant such quick, decisive action could be carried out. The formation of a human chain meant that whether at the front or the back of the rescue, each cop had an interdependent role in ensuring they had access to the sinking car.

It was the strength of the chain which counteracted the unstable bed of the ford, Lee explained.

He said: “I had hold of Tom and was taking some of his weight from him. There was no way he could’ve got a decent footing to break the window otherwise.”

Before the entire vehicle could sink, the woman was removed and passed along six people to safety and a full recovery.

“I was so focused on the task that I didn’t even know who was behind me. It was only afterwards that I saw faces from other teams in the Force, so another good element of it all is that it was achieved by people who wouldn’t normally work together.”

When asked about his hopes of picking up the win in the summer, Tom said the recognition he has already felt is enough before any formal evening wear can be worn.

“Being nominated is a great feeling in itself, and the woman actually sent us a letter expressing her gratitude, which was a really nice touch. I think that has given us the biggest sense of reward possible.” he said.

“Like I said, I’m just happy we could help her with time being so limited. Honestly, it was a lot more doing than thinking.”

Shannon also maintained she had her instincts to thank on that testing morning.

“My previous job was actually as a lifeguard, so that certainly wouldn’t have done me any harm. There was no doubt in my mind of what I had to do to save the person’s life,” she added.

West Mercia Police Federation chair Steve Butler has paid tribute to the ‘impeccable’ teamwork on display during the incident.

“I am still immensely proud of the work of our officers here. The way they waded into such dangerous water to not only help the woman, but each other too, showed remarkable commitment and bravery,” said Steve.

"It may have happened nearly a year ago but it’s still being spoken about now, and I think that’s completely justified. Tom, Lee and Shannon fully deserve their nominations."