An officer who dived into freezing cold water to save a suicidal man has been nominated for a bravery award.
Surrey Police's Constable Neil Pike is in the running for the Police Bravery Award following December's incident, where a distressed man was threatening to jump into the River Thames to kill himself.
The officer tried to negotiate with him for more than half an hour. The river was very high and running extremely fast when the man jumped in. He was swept quickly down stream, struggling with the freezing temperatures and fast current.
When the man tried to reach the north bank of the river Constable Pike dashed across the bridge, dived in the water and swam towards him.
Meanwhile, a police helicopter arrived and dropped a buoyancy aid in which the officer took to the man. Swimming with only one hand and holding the buoyancy and the man in the other, Constable Pike successfully brought him to safety.
Stan Hebborn, chairman of Surrey Police Federation said: "Neil Pike showed courageous commitment to duty and to the preservation of life, when braving the treacherous waters of the Thames, which were fast flowing and extremely cold.
"Neil is extremely worthy of this nomination and should feel proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with the other nominees from around the country".
The Police Bravery Awards are hosted in partnership with The Sun newspaper and honour officers across England and Wales for their actions to tackle criminals and keep the public safe. The ceremony will take place on July 10.
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