Top national life-saving honours for local cops
Four police officers who fought a life-and-death battle in the middle of the night in a field near Stourport to save a suicidal man have been awarded national life-saving honours.
The officers were alerted shortly before midnight on July 16 that the man had disappeared from his home after taking an overdose.
After a torchlight search the officers finally found the man at 3am lying unconscious and unresponsive in the pitch dark in a field. They immediately began administering CPR and kept it up until paramedics arrived at the scene and took the man to hospital where he went on to survive the ordeal.
Now all four officers – PCs Simeon Darrall-Jones, Paul Modley, Ross Tipper, and one who cannot be identified – have all been awarded Royal Humane Society Resuscitation Certificates.
They have also won the personal praise of Andrew Chapman, Secretary of the Royal Humane Society.
Speaking at the Society’s London headquarters as he announced the awards he said: “The fact the officers managed to find the man was an incredible achievement. They were searching in the pitch dark with only the light from their torches to help them.
“Despite this they managed to trace him and then went on to administer life-saving CPR. They did a superb job, there was some excellent team-work, and, above all they saved a life. They richly deserve the wards they are to receive.
“At the same time this is yet another incident which emphasises the value of as many people as possible – members of the public as well as those such as the police – learning CPR techniques. I’m sure people who learn how to administer CPR hope they will never be called on to use the skill.
“However, as this incident vividly illustrates CPR can, as it did here make the difference between life and death.”
No date has yet been fixed for presentation of the awards but it is expected to take place in the near future.
The roots of the Royal Humane Society stretch back more than two centuries. The Queen is its patron and its president is Princess Alexandra.
It was founded in 1774 by two of the day's eminent medical men, William Hawes and Thomas Cogan. Their primary motive was to promote techniques of resuscitation.
However, as it emerged that numerous people were prepared to put their own lives at risk to save others, the awards scheme evolved, and today a variety of awards are made depending on the bravery involved.
The Society also awards non health care professionals who perform a successful resuscitation. Since it was set up the Society has considered over 87,000 cases and made over 200,000 awards. The Society is a registered charity which receives no public funding and is dependent on voluntary donations.
