A Nottinghamshire police officer clung on to a drowning man for 20 minutes until he could be rescued after falling into the River Trent. Officers received reports a man had fallen into the water close to the Millenium Bridge in Newark just before 8pm on Wednesday, January 11.
Sergeant Robert Harrison leads the neighbourhood policing team and recalls having to climb down the side of the river bank to reach the man whilst his fellow officers held onto him until help arrived. Members of East Midlands Ambulance Service and Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue also attended the incident.
Sergeant Harrison said: "Right underneath the bridge itself there was a chap in the water that a member of the public had heard. He had managed to get to the side of the river, but he had popped up in a massive thorn bush and it was really difficult to get to him because he was up against the bridge structure, there was only about a foot gap to where we could get to him.
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"There was not enough room for us to get down and get him out of the water so it was just a case of getting in the thorns and holding on to him so he didn't go back under the water. Unfortunately, he fell unconscious while he was in the water so I managed to hold on to him until fire went in and scooped him out."
Once taken out of the river, the individual Sergeant Harrison was holding on to was given first aid at the scene and then taken to hospital so he could be treated for hypothermia. He explained incidents like this "happen quite often, people end up in the river for various reasons."
Sergeant Harrison said: "It's always a team effort, the minute the call goes up for anything like that anyone who is available gets themselves there, so there were loads of us there. It was a real team effort in getting fire to the right place, and getting the ambulance to the right place.
"It was pitch black on a cold winter's night and it's obviously dangerous for anyone that's by the river in case they end up going in as well. It's just a case of hanging on and knowing the sooner we get him out the better as the water was bitterly cold as well."
Newark and Sherwood District Commander, Matthew Ward, added: "This was great work by Sgt Harrison, his team and the officers from Response Rota 4. It is clear that as a result of their quick, decisive and determined actions they have saved the gentleman from serious injury or even death, a prime example of Policing at its core that being to preserve life and prevent harm."
Nottinghamshire Live was told the individual in the water was taken to hospital for treatment for hypothermia.
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