THREE police officers who battled to bring a man back from the brink of death are to receive top national life-saving honours.
The three Wrexham officers fought a life and death battle to save the man who threw himself from a bridge over the A483 at Wrexham.
Sgt Jason Ball, PC Benjamin Pugh and Sgt John Ryan have all been awarded Royal Humane Society Resuscitation Certificates following their dramatic rescue in the early hours of August 18 last year.
And yesterday, in addition to the award they are to receive, they also won the personal praise of the society’s secretary, Dick Wilkinson, as he announced the awards at the society’s London headquarters.
He said that, despite every possible effort by the police to dissuade the man from jumping, he let go of safety railings and fell 20ft on to the Llay New Road below.
He continued: “PS Ball and PC Pugh picked up their trauma kit and ran to the road below, where the man lay motionless.
“They were joined by PS Ryan. PS Ball fitted a tube into the man’s airway and PS Ryan pumped blood out. They then commenced cardiac pulmonary resuscitation.
“A defibrillator was then attached ready for use and to monitor the man’s heart. Once a heart beat was detected they stopped CPR and concentrated on the bleeding.
On arrival of the ambulance, PS Ryan travelled with the man to assist the paramedic.
“The man is now recovering from fractures to his right thigh, pelvis, spine and face.
But if these officers had not been there and taken the swift action they did there is little doubt but that he would have died from his injuries.
“All three richly deserve the awards they are to receive.
“They were the right people in the right place at the right time.”
No date has been fixed for the presentation of the awards.