Merseyside Police Sergeant saves man’s life who fell into River Mersey

A Merseyside Police sergeant saved the life of a man who fell into the River Mersey last weekend. 

Sgt Alex Clare, part of the Merseyside Police response team, acted swiftly when he responded to an emergency call from a concerned member of the public who spotted the man struggling in the water near Pier Head.

The incident, which occurred at 1.15am on Sunday 6 October, required an emergency response from both Merseyside Police and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, who have specialist equipment to assist in such incidents.

However, Sgt Clare was first on the scene and had to take decisive action to ensure the man did not drown by the time his colleagues and firefighters were able to arrive and assist with the rescue operation.

Sgt Clare, who has served with Merseyside Police for 24 years, said:

“I remember it being really cold, dark and raining heavily and I could see him down below in the water really struggling. I shone my torch down and spoke with him because I wanted to reassure him and let him know that we were going to get him out.

“The water was really choppy and I was worried about the possibility of him drifting off and we would lose him. I saw a lifebelt and threw it to him and told him how to use it. He was badly injured and couldn’t move his arms but he was able to get hold of it.

“I held onto the rope and managed to pull him towards a safer area of the water which was more sheltered and he could rest. I then continued to talk to him until Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service arrived and their team was lowered down and they used a ladder to get him up.

“He was extremely cold and had signs of hypothermia. He was taken to hospital to get treatment to his injuries but is expected to make a full recovery.

“I was told that if it wasn’t for my actions he would have been washed out further into the water and we probably wouldn’t have been able to find him.”

Despite the challenging circumstances of the rescue mission, Sgt Clare was keen to get back to his duties and complete his night shift.

He said: “I was obviously very cold and wet, but I just had a quick coffee and then I was able to carry on and deal with a range of other jobs before my shift ended.” 

Head of response for Merseyside Police, Chief Superintendent Mark Wiggins, added:

“Response officers work 24hrs a day 365 days a year to protect our communities and need to deal with a wide variety of incidents to help people, support victims and bring offenders to justice.

“No two days are the same and they work extremely hard, regularly putting themselves in harm’s way to help others. Alex demonstrated this, supporting the man who was at risk of losing his life and his quick thinking and determination ensured that his colleagues and the fire and rescue service could assist in bringing the man to safety. He has saved someone’s life and he should be proud of this.”

For water safety advice, read more here: https://www.merseyfire.gov.uk/safety-advice/community-safety/water-safety/

IF YOU SEE SOMEONE IN DANGER IN THE WATER:

• Remember: Call, Tell, Throw
• CALL – dial 999 and ask for the Fire & Rescue Service if inland or Coastguard if near the coast
• TELL – Tell them to float on their back
• THROW – Look for something that floats or that they could hold onto and throw it to them.
• Do not enter the water yourself – you could also get into difficulty

IF YOU ARE IN DANGER IN THE WATER:

• Remember: Float to Live
• Fight your instinct to thrash around – lean back and extend your arms and legs
• Float until you can control your breathing
• Only then, call for help, swim to safety or continue floating until help arrives
• If you fall into the water unexpectedly, or get into difficulty, fight your instinct to thrash around. Instead, lean back, extend your arms and legs and float

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