Police in Newark rescue man from freezing waters
They have been hailed as heroes
Police in Newark have been hailed as heroes after they rescued a man from freezing waters at the marina.
Timothy Smithen was on a houseboat and fell in after a few drinks and got his leg stuck under the jetty.
His partner Janet has praised the officers who pulled him to safety.
"Without the officers arriving, Tim would have died. I have no doubt about that.
"I had a hold of him, but that grip was loosening and I couldn't hold onto him for much longer.
"It was like living in a nightmare. A hugely surreal experience, but they arrived so quickly and thank god they did, because if they didn't, he wouldn't be here today.
"It was absolutely incredible. I can't thank the police enough.
"They are real life heroes."
Police Constable Ash Bramley was the first on the scene. He said: "It was quite a chaotic scene, Janet was very distressed as you might expect with her husband in the water and being unresponsive.
"She did really well to hold onto him for those crucial minutes and call the emergency services.
"When we got there, Tim's whole body was being submerged, so we had to act immediately. Luckily there were colleagues nearby and we were able to get him out.
"We hear he's made a full recovery, so that's obviously great news and makes this role huge rewarding and satisfying when your able to make a difference."
Inspector Heather Sutton, District Commander for Newark and Sherwood, said: "This was fantastic work by PC Ash Bramley and his team. They were first on the scene and extraordinarily managed to save the man's life.
"The conditions were tricky, as it was obviously pitch black and a cold February evening, so the water must have been freezing.
"This is a fantastic example of response officers being in the area and rapidly attending a serious incident.
"Officers were called at around 4am on 26 February 2021 to Newark Marina following a report of a man had entered the water. They were able to stay calm and think quickly to ensure his life was saved.
"It was a real team effort with the local fire service all supporting each other, with a real positive result.
"I'd like to praise them all for their bravery. Had it now been for their speedy and brave actions I think that this story would have had a tragic ending."