West Midlands police pair to receive top awards
Two police officers from the Black Country are to receive top honours for their parts in separate life-saving incidents.
Tragically in each case Pc Hayley Denyer, from Brierley Hill, and Pc Gary Cullen, from Bilston, were unable to save the victims.
But their brave police work in each incident will see them receive awards from the Royal Humane Society.
Pc Denyer tried to resuscitate a 15-month-old baby girl who collapsed at her Halesowen home on June 16, where she had stopped breathing.
She had attended the address while responding to an emergency call.
Pc Denyer began to administer CPR and continued until an ambulance arrived and paramedics took over.
The police officer travelled with the family to hospital, helping to support them through the harrowing ordeal, which ended with them being told the baby girl had died. She will receive the Resuscitation Certificate award.
In the incident involving Pc Cullen, he fought to revive a cyclist who was the victim of a hit and run collision, in Evans Street, in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, on October 26.
Pc Cullen was first on the scene and found the cyclist, a man, had a severe head injury and had gone into cardiac arrest.
He immediately started administering CPR and continued until paramedics arrived. Sadly, the man died at the scene. Pc Cullen is to receive the Certificate of Commendation.
Andrew Chapman, secretary of the Royal Humane Society, said: "Both these officers did incredible jobs in the most harrowing of circumstances.
"It is impossible to imagine the thoughts and feelings of the family and of Pc Denyer during the fight to save the baby girl’s life.
"However, Pc Denyer did all anyone could have done in the circumstances to ensure that when the paramedics arrived the little girl was in the best possible condition to be revived if it was possible.
"Sadly it was not to be but Pc Denyer truly deserves the award, firstly for her fight to revive the little girl through CPR and also for the support she gave the family. She did a wonderful and caring job during a terrible incident.
"And in the other incident Pc Cullen also did all he possibly could have done to revive the cyclist. He ensured the man was in the best possible condition in the circumstances for further resuscitation attempts by paramedics when they reached the scene. Sadly though nothing could be done for the man and he died at the scene."
