Two Barnsley police officers received a national award for performing life-saving CPR on a bus driver after he went into cardiac arrest.
PC Tony Tighe and PC Nick Deakin were called to the scene of an emergency on 21 February where the driver had collapsed at the wheel while driving in Doncaster on a busy dual carriageway.
Upon arrival they found the man unresponsive.
A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said: “Without hesitation, they immediately began CPR, delivering high-quality chest compressions with unwavering determination until paramedics arrived.’
“Their swift intervention and resilience in maintaining effective CPR were crucial in giving the man the best possible chance of survival and despite the physically demanding nature of continuous chest compressions, as well as being in the middle of a live dual carriageway, both officers remained focused and determined, demonstrating exceptional courage and professionalism under immense pressure.”
Due to the efforts made by the two officers the man survived and recovered from his episode in hospital. His family have expressed ‘profound gratitude’ to South Yorkshire Police and recognised that without the officers’ immediate action, the outcome could have been ‘tragically different’.
The spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said: “Their actions epitomise what it means to be a police officer and we are pleased they have been deservedly recognised for this significant life-saving act.”
They received the prestigious Royal Humane Society award which is given out to honour bravery and to recognize individuals who risk their lives to save others or perform successful resuscitations.
It was presented to them by the Doncaster Response Chief Inspector Gareth Hyde.
A spokesperson from South Yorkshire Police Federation said: “This is a brilliant example of what our officers deal with. Another tremendous example of bravery and compassion to protect the public of South Yorkshire.
“This shows this is the real face of policing in South Yorkshire and the UK and we should be rightly proud of them.”
In the UK approximately 60,000 people suffer sudden out-of-hospital cardiac arrests with fewer than 1 in 10 people surviving them, which indicates over 50,000 deaths annually.
The total number of cardiac arrests including those in hospital is estimated between 43,000 and 60,000 a year.