Lincolnshire policeman who saved life of man in 'horror incident' to receive national bravery award
A Skegness police officer is to receive a national bravery award for his heroism during a “horror incident” near Louth earlier this year.
The incident saw a man drive his van into the side of a bungalow in South Reston and attempt to take own life with a knife, the Royal Humane Society said.
Ignoring the serious danger of the wrecked building collapsing on him, PC Alfred Vickers went in to pull the man out to safety.
"He then spent half an hour applying pressure to the man’s neck to stop him bleeding to death from a wound,” a RHS spokesperson said.
Now PC Vickers has been awarded a Royal Humane Society Testimonial on Vellum for his bravery during the incident on the morning of 16 February this year, and for saving the man’s life.
Praising PC Vickers, Andrew Chapman, Secretary of the Royal Humane Society commented: “This was an horrific incident and realising the urgency of getting the man out PC Vickers didn’t wait for the emergency services to arrive but went in despite the risk to himself and saved the man’s life.
"He did a superb job and having got the man to safety then stopped him bleeding to death. The man would almost certainly have died but for the action of PC Vickers.
“He richly deserves the award he is to receive. At the same time though there are many incidents where lives are saved and those involved never receive awards they deserve because their names have never been put forward.
“We appeal to members of the public if they hear of incidents in which lives have been saved, sometimes in circumstances where the life-savers have put their own lives in danger, to bring them to our attention,”
The roots of the Royal Humane Society stretch back nearly 250 years. Other than awards made by the Crown, it is the premier national body for honouring bravery in the saving of human life.
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.