Young Woman Rescued From Icy River Aire
Two special constables have been commended for saving a 22-year-old woman's life after she fell into the freezing River Aire on Friday night.
It happened just before midnight near Riverside Court in the Calls area.
Special Constables Mark Spedding and Richard Johnson were working in the city centre when they responded to reports that a woman had fallen in the water.
With the help of some door staff, they managed to pull her out and she was taken to hospital.
She suffered no serious injuries, but Senior Section Officer Mark Spedding says it could have been much worse:
‘‘It was a very cold night and the water was absolutely freezing. When we arrived the woman had already been in the river for a number of minutes and we had to act fast.
‘‘Fortunately, and with the assistance of a nearby doorman, Richard and I were able to pull the woman to safety.
‘‘The satisfaction of being able to help people in these type of situations is the reason why I volunteer my time as a Special Constable and I'm just pleased we were able to help.’’
Superintendent Sam Millar praised the actions of the officers and door staff ‘‘for quick thinking and commitment’’ in rescuing the woman from a situation that could have had fatal consequences.
‘‘The actions of the two Special Constables, who volunteer their free time to work as police officers, epitomises the values of officers and staff who put themselves in dangerous situations to help other people and protect members of the public,” he said.