Warrington police sergeants honoured for woman's river rescue

Two police detectives who jumped into an icy river at night to save a drowning woman have been commended for their bravery.

Det Sgts Joe McNally and Dave Schofield rescued the woman, who was in difficulty in the River Mersey in Warrington in March 2020.

The Cheshire Police officers have received a commendation for bravery from their chief constable.

They were also nominated for a National Police Bravery Award.

The two officers were given a tour of parliament by MP Andy Carter, the Conservative MP for Warrington South, and attended a reception at Downing Street, hosted by the Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Det Sgt Schofield said it was "humbling and inspiring" to hear of other officers' "exceptional bravery".

"It is times like this that you do feel extremely valued as police officer," Det Sgt McNally said.

In mid-March 2020, the two sergeants received reports in the early hours of the morning that a woman had jumped into the river.

They climbed over a barrier and jumped down a high drop on to a small river bank.

They swam to the woman and lifted her above water level but she was incredibly distressed and fought aggressively with the officers, Cheshire Police said.

The sergeants managed to drag the woman on to the bank, where the fire service dropped a ladder to aid with her rescue.

Police said the woman thanked the officers for helping her when she reached hospital.

They were both treated for exposure and jabs against river-borne diseases.

Cheshire Police Federation chair Jamie Thompson said the selfless officers acted "acted instinctively" to rescue the woman.

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