A POLICE officer who risked his own safety to rescue a man trapped in deep water at a disused pumping station in Hereford has been honoured at the 2021 Police Bravery Awards.

PC Craig Prewer joined fellow nominees from across England and Wales at the event in London which was also attended by Policing Minister Kit Malthouse, Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick.

Earlier in the day he and his partner joined other nominees at a Downing Street reception hosted by Home Secretary Priti Patel.

PC Prewer was nominated for the award after pulling the man to safety when he had been in the water for up to four hours and was suffering from hypothermia.

The run-down pumping station off Goodwin Way, Rotherwas, posed a series of hazards to PC Prewer’s own safety as he carried out the rescue.

After pulling the man to safety, PC Prewer, who has 23 years’ service with the Force, returned to ensure was no one else was trapped in the building.

He said: “The male was inside an old pumping house, which was boarded up and had a small window that was broken which he had got in.

“The floorboards were all missing and there were just rafters where the floor had been, but below this was water which appeared extremely deep and cold.

“The male was naked when we discovered him. He had cut feet and numerous cut all over him.

"This was after he had fallen in the water, taken his clothes off and cut himself numerous times on nails protruding from the rafters.

"The inside of the building was pitch black and the male could not see a thing so moved around by touch.”

PC Prewer was able to cut off the boarding so that he could reach the man before he fell off the rafters into the deep water where he could have drowned.

The national Police Bravery Awards, organised by the Police Federation of England and Wales, honour officers from across England and Wales who have performed outstanding acts of bravery while on or off duty.

West Mercia Police Federation chair Sarah Cooper, who accompanied the couple to the awards on December 9, said: “This incident presented a unique and challenging set of circumstances which PC Prewer overcame in order to save the life of a member of the public.

"It makes me incredibly proud to work alongside colleagues who act in such a brave and selfless way to protect our communities, despite the very real risk to their own safety.

“But it makes me even more proud when I can see their efforts recognised at events such as the Police Bravery Awards.

"Each and every day, police officers carry out acts of bravery while serving and protecting their communities.

"While it would be impossible for them all to attend these awards, I hope that in seeing colleagues’ efforts recognised, officers understand that their critical role is appreciated even though that may not always seem to be the case.”