Vulnerable woman rescued from freezing North Sea at Redcar by brave police officers

-Credit:Jon Metcalfe
-Credit:Jon Metcalfe


A vulnerable woman was saved from the icy sea at Redcar in an early morning police rescue.

Two Redcar and Cleveland response police officers entered the water in the early hours of Saturday (January 4) to help the woman who was in distress. The North East Ambulance Service had contacted the force just after 2am.

Cleveland Police said several response officers rushed to the scene and "without hesitation" PCs Clarke and Gressman plunged into the water. They brought the 38-year-old woman safely back to shore.

READ MORE: 'Slurring' dad 'lost temper' punching and kicking late sister in Ingleby Barwick home

ADVERTISEMENT

READ MORE: 'My world shattered': Brother's tribute to North-east footballer who died on 27th birthday

Commending the officers for their brave actions, Redcar and Cleveland Response Chief Inspector, Mark Pitt, said: “This was an urgent situation, with serious concerns for the lady’s safety and wellbeing, but my officers didn’t hesitate to spring into action that night. I’m very proud of them for what they did - putting the lady’s safety before their own - and thankfully they were able to bring the incident to a safe conclusion.”

A North East Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "We were called to an incident at Redcar seafront on Saturday, January 4, at 2.03am. We dispatched one duty officer to the incident but were stood down by the police."

The incident came as the region saw temperatures plummet throughout the night with the Met Office having issued a yellow weather warning for icy conditions throughout Saturday.

For breaking news in your area direct to your inbox every day, go here to sign up to our free newsletter