Doncaster woman who risked being drowned in a life-and-death battle to rescue a suicidal man wins highest national bravery honour

Melanie Smith, has been awarded a Royal Humane Society Bronze Medal for her part in rescuing the man from the river on the afternoon of October 4 last year. Three police who also took part in the incident are also to receive awards from the Society.

PCs Jack Gascoigne and Oliver Langton are to receive a Testimonials on Parchment and PC Connor Bluck is to receive a Certificate of Commendation.

The incident began after the man was spotted on the outside of a bridge leaning out as if he was about to jump.

Doncaster PCs Gascoigne, Langton and Bluck arrived at the scene. They tried to talk the man out of jumping but he eventually jumped off the bridge.

Ms Smith who was nearby on the river bank saw the man fall, jumped into the water and swam to the man who appeared to be semi conscious and who was being sucked by the increasing current.

Despite the current Ms Smith managed to reach him and then succeeded in dragging him through the water towards the bank. If she had not reached him when she did he would almost certainly have drowned.

PC Langton had waded out in the water and grabbed hold of the man and Ms Smith who was tiring and called to PC Gascoigne for help. When PC Gascoigne reached them he and PC Langton carried the man to the bank where PC Bluck and another officer who pulled him out of the water. In the mean-time Ms Smith swam to the bank and got herself out of the water. The man was later taken to hospital by ambulance escorted by PC Bluck.

Now, in addition to the awards they are to receive Ms Smith and the three officers have all won the personal praise of Andrew Chapman, Secretary of the Royal Humane Society.

“This was a dangerous situation with Ms Smith facing the biggest danger,” he said. “With no thought for her own safety she went into the water and faced an increasingly dangerous current to swim to the man and start dragging him back to the bank.

“PCs Langton and Gascoigne also risked the danger of being swept away by the current to get the man to the shore where the others were waiting. There was some magnificent impromptu team-work here and the result was that the man was saved from drowning. All four award winners richly deserve the honours they are to receive, especially Ms Smith.

“The bronze medal is only awarded very rarely to people who have really put their lives on the line and without doubt Ms Smith qualifies for that.”

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.

The Society also awards non health care professionals who perform a successful resuscitation. Since it was set up the Society has considered over 90,000 cases and made over 220,000 awards. The Society is a registered charity which receives no public funding and is dependent on voluntary donations.