TWO South Yorkshire Police Officers who battled an inferno to save the life of a man trapped inside a burning car have been to a Downing Street reception for The National Police Bravery Awards.<\/p>\n
PC Paul Johnson and PC Craig Sharratt were on their way to an incident on 12 January 2018 when they came across a serious collision on a dual carriageway in Sheffield.<\/p>\n
PC Paul Johnson said: \u201cI feel massively humbled to have been nominated for an award. What we did is not something any of other colleagues wouldn\u2019t have done too, so the fact that we\u2019ve been nominated and have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to be here today is amazing and I feel very lucky.\u201d<\/p>\n
PC Craig Sharratt added: \u201cI feel very lucky to be representing the force at Downing Street today at the national awards ceremony. What we did is what guys and girls do around the country every day, so it\u2019s nice to get some recognition when things are out of the ordinary.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the vehicles involved had been seriously damaged and as the officers approached, they could see that the occupants were unconscious and seriously injured.<\/p>\n
As the officers got nearer, a fire suddenly broke out at the front of the vehicle and it quickly spread towards the driver and his two male passengers.<\/p>\n
With the flames spreading, the officers knew they had to get into the vehicle and to try and drag the men to safety. One had his leg firmly stuck in the passenger side footwell, so PC Johnson had to tug at it until it came free, as the flames threatened to engulf the car and the officers with it.<\/p>\n
At this stage, the heat was so extreme that part of PC Sharratt\u2019s baton melted and the officers had very real concerns that the vehicle was about to explode.<\/p>\n
The officers managed to drag the three occupants to safety just as the flames took over the car and proceeded to perform CPR as ambulance crews arrived.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, two of the males involved died as a result of the injuries they sustained in the collision.<\/p>\n
South Yorkshire Police Federation Chairman Steve Kent said the officers had acted entirely selflessly in their attempt to save lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no doubt that the actions of the officers gave these men the best possible chance of surviving this tragic incident,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was very traumatic and the flames inside the vehicle were so intense they melted batons.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat they managed to save one of the men involved is a testament to their professionalism and dedication in the face of extreme conditions.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo do what they did in those circumstances was incredibly brave.\u201d<\/p>\n
PCs Johnson and Sharratt will attend a reception and an evening awards ceremony in London in July.<\/p>\n