An awards ceremony has been held to celebrate and recognise the fantastic efforts of police officers by the Royal Humane Society, a charity that present awards for acts of bravery in the saving of a human life and for the restoration of life by resuscitation.
Police Constable Tasha Rice, from the Three Rivers Community Safety Partnership of Hertfordshire Constabulary was one of the recipients.
During the night of 8 January 2023, a female who was in mental health crisis had entered the River Colne in an attempt to end her life.
It was an exceptionally cold night, the bank of the river was slippery and impossible to stand on and, due to the time, visibility was extremely poor.
The woman had been dragged around 200m by the current, Tasha, accompanied by two other officers, realised that this was a life-threatening situation. They entered the freezing cold water and pulled the woman onto the shore to safety.
Once she was out of the water, Tasha and the officers provided first aid and blankets and quickly got her to an ambulance, where the woman received further treatment.
Assistant Chief Constable Genna Telfer said: “It is without a doubt that these officers saved her from drowning due to hypothermia and saved her life.”
