Police officers in sea resuce drama

PC Neil King dived into the freezing waves with a lifebelt tied to a 25ft dog-tracking line at 9.30pm on Friday.

His colleague PC Nick Baldwin-Charles, who works with the dog unit and was in the area when the emergency call came in, stood in the rough sea near the beach holding the line.

The dramatic rescue was captured by surveillance cameras.

"I did not think I was going to get her," said PC King, 38. "It was absolutely freezing and I was finding it difficult to keep going. All the time she was being washed further and further out and it was getting tougher and tougher.

"I didn't really think about it at the time, it was only later when I had a chance to sit down I could afford to consider what happened."

PC Baldwin-Charles, 41, standing in shallow water to begin with, had to walk out into the waves to allow his colleague to get close to the distressed woman. He ended up treading water up to 7ft deep.

"I was being lifted and shoved around by the waves," he said. "But I knew I had to get back on the beach.

"I allowed some rope through my hands and shouted back to one of our other colleagues on the beach, Jamie Loveday, to help drag us back.

"It was pitch black, particularly in the sea, and it was a struggle to see anything."

Both officers are being nominated for Royal Humane Society Bravery Awards.

Chief Superintendent Dick Barton said the rescue was a "brilliant" achievement. "It may be all part of the job, but it's really at the top end of policing," he said. "Saving someone's life in those circumstances is just brilliant.

"I have seen the CCTV tape and I can't tell you how impressed I am. It was an incredibly dangerous situation."

Despite such praise from their boss, both officers have refused to accept their "hero" status.

"We were just there at the time," said PC King. "I wouldn't consider myself a hero by any means. We just do what we are paid to do. We were both absolutely exhausted when we got back to base.

"I had a quick shower and a cup of tea - then I was back on duty!"