Pinvin Ford rescue bravery awards for six police officers

Six Worcester police officers formed a human chain to save a woman from her nearly submerged car after it stalled and was washed away as she was crossing Pinvin Ford at Bow Brook, near Worcester.

They have been awarded national life-saving honours for their courage in the line of duty.

We reported at the time how officers formed the chain to pull the woman from her white Mini which was almost completely submerged in the Walcot Lane Ford between Pershore and Drakes Broughton

Thanks to the officers' actions the woman was successfully rescued and escaped without serious injuries.

Video footage shows officers linking arms before one smashes the window and pulls the driver to safety.

PRAISE: Andrew Chapman, Secretary of the Royal Humane Society. (Image: Royal Humane Society)

The woman phoned police to say she was locked in her hybrid electric vehicle which was filling with water.

She was already up to her neck in water and was unable to lower the windows to get out because they had stopped working.

By the time police reached the scene on the morning of April 25 last year all that could be seen of the car was the rear quarter light window and the car was several metres out in the main flow of the river.

The police formed a human chain out into the river to serve as an anchor for PS Lee Baker who was at the front of the chain and in serious danger from the fast-flowing water.

When he reached the car PS Baker saw the woman with her face close to the car roof managing to breathe the last of the air in the vehicle.

He initially tried to break the car window with a hammer but failed.

Then he used his baton and, with the last of the air in the car ebbing away he managed to smash the window and then pulled the woman through it.

She was pulled to safety by the rest of the members of the chain.

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While this was happening PC Shannon Murphy, immediately behind PS Baker in the chain, was providing tactical communications and keeping PS Baker in touch with the other members of the chain.

Now PS Baker is to receive a Royal Humane Society Testimonial on Vellum, PC Murphy is to receive a Testimonial on Parchment and the other members of the chain, PCs Matthew Anstiss, Erin Fairlesds, Sam Quayle and Thomas Simmonds are to receive Certificates of Commendation.

Andrew Chapman, secretary of the society, said: “Time was of the essence in this incident. This was a horrifying scenario and if the police had not reached the scene when they did and then put themselves at risk to rescue the woman she would almost certainly have drowned,” he said.

“They did a magnificent job in very difficult circumstances. They showed some superb team work and as a result the woman was saved. They all richly deserve the awards they are to receive.”