Brave officers praised for daring canal rescue

Two courageous police officers have been praised after they risked their lives to stop a man from drowning in a canal in Burnley.

By The Newsroom

Published 5th Feb 2018, 09:07 BST

Updated 5th Feb 2018, 10:11 BST

The incident happened on Sunday afternoon when officers PC Martin Ward and PC Claire Wilson rescued a 61-year-old man who had jumped into the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at 1-30pm.

A Lancashire Police spokesman said: “We were contacted by a neighbour of a man after a note was left at 11am.

“We spoke on the phone and negotiated with him to find he was at the back of the Prestige block near Sainsbury’s on the canal.

“When officers arrived he was seen to jump into the water and two officers jumped in after him.”

The man was pulled out of the water and officers gave him first aid as he was suffering the effects of hypothermia.

He was then taken to hospital.

The two officers were later commended by the local superintendent for their bravery in potentially saving the man’s life.