Police officers put their own lives at risk to save a drowning woman in York early this morning.
The officers have been hailed heroes after rescuing and resuscitating the woman from Rawcliffe Lake.
The drama began at around 3.30am today (Tuesday, May 23).
PC Ryan Innes and PC Ben Hallewell, response officers from the York Neighbourhood Policing Team, went to the lake after receiving reports about a woman in a distressed state.
When they arrived they spotted the woman in the middle of the lake and made the decision to wade out around 40 metres to prevent her from drowning.
They recovered her to the edge of the water where Traffic Constable Richard Harrison, of the Roads Policing Group, carried out CPR on the unconscious woman.
Thankfully the woman, who is aged in her late 40s, had regained consciousness and was breathing when the ambulance arrived at the scene.
She is being treated at York Hospital.
‘Proud and thankful’
Superintendent Adam Thomson, Neighbourhood Policing Commander for York and Selby, said:
Confronted with these desperate circumstances, they very quickly and bravely used their training to save the woman’s life.
They are a credit to North Yorkshire Police and we can all be proud and thankful that we have such tremendously dedicated people in our local police service.
The officers will be nominated for bravery awards to recognise their actions in due course.