Response officers urge people ‘not to suffer in silence’ after life-saving rescue

Response officers saved a man’s life after he threatened to leap off a 15ft bridge into the River Trent. 

Officers were called to the Attenborough area just before midnight on Wednesday June 26 over concerns for a man’s safety. 

They have found a man, in his 20s, sitting on a very small ledge on the wrong side of the bridge.

As there were tall railings between the man and the officers, it was impossible to pull him from the ledge. 

It was therefore vital that good communication skills came into play to ensure the officers could bring the man to safety. 

Response officers will often be the first on the scene once a 999 call is made. A proportion of their calls are to those in a mental health crisis.  

PC Josh Dowdy, PC Gareth Hope, PC Natalie Short attended the incident alongside their Sergeant Cai Kemish. 

Sgt Kemish said: “The man was clearly having a mental health crisis and very distressed and it was important we worked hard to ensure we brought him to safety. 

“The bridge was approximately 15ft directly over the River Trent, with the man positioned in the middle of the bridge. 

“The bridge had 5ft railings running across it, they were close together, meaning that grabbing hold of the man was not an option. Access to the other side of the bridge was also a near impossible task. 

“On arrival, PC Dowdy immediately engaged and built a rapport with the man with PC Short and PC Hope assisting. 

“As we waited for more resources, PC Dowdy has continued to build that rapport with the man.

“Further conversations took place which resulted in the man climbing back over the railings with the support of officers. 

“In total, it took around 10 minutes for officers to put their skills into action, build that quick rapport and ensure there was a positive outcome and the man was brought to safety. 

“The man suffered no physical injuries and is now being supported by mental health professionals.” 

Chief Inspector Anwaar Ahmed, who leads city response, said: “This was outstanding work by response officers to bring a very distressed man to safety. Being a response officer is not just about fighting crime and catching criminals but being there in people’s hour of need. 

“We hope that the man gets the support he needs. I truly believe that if it was not for the actions of these officers on the night, the outcome could have been very different. They played an integral part in saving a man’s life.” 

Anyone looking for support with their mental health is urged to speak to their doctor, call Samaritans free on 116 123 or email them at [email protected] or call the NHS on 111.