Three police officers who saved a man left dangling above a 60ft drop at an Ealing car park have been honoured for their heroics.
PCs Fraz Chaudhary and Robert Weller, and Special Constable James Tysoe helped haul the man to safety from the edge of Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre last October.
They were each awarded a Royal Humane Society Certificate of Commendation, which was presented by Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe at a ceremony on Wednesday (August 3).
They were called into action on October 18 last year, at about 3.30am, after a CCTV controller at the shopping complex spotted a man acting suspiciously on a ramp in the car park, which was about 60 feet above the ground.
Officer grabbed man's arm and helped pull him to safety
The man was very distressed and intimated that he wanted to end his life.
He told the CCTV controller not to get any closer, and positioned himself on the edge of the barrier, with his legs dangling over the edge.
He turned around as if to jump, and as he did so he slipped and fell.
The CCTV controller managed to grab the man by one arm, at which point the three officers (all of whom were volunteer special constables at the time) arrived.
Special Constable Tysoe grabbed the man's other arm and with help from his colleagues managed to pull him back over the barrier to safety.
The man was taken to Charing Cross Hospital and sectioned under the Mental Health Act.
'Their decisive action has saved his life'
Chief Inspector Tim Cummins, of Ealing Police, said: "These officers stepped in at precisely the right time, to save this vulnerable man from making a mistake he could never take back.
"Their decisive action has saved his life and we are very proud of them, as they should be of themselves."
Sir Hogan-Howe presented them with their awards at the Empress State Building in West Brompton, where a number of other officers and a member of the public were also honoured.
Awards for other officers in Westminster, Harrow and Ealing
The other officers to be recognised included:
- PC Derek Nyenhuis, attached to Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection, for going to the aid of a woman who had been involved in a traffic collision in Westminster
- PC Yussef Hassaniyeh, attached to Ealing borough, for going to the aid of a man who had set himself alight
- Special Sergeant Robert Harrild, attached to Harrow borough, for his outstanding contribution to the borough through his career with the Metropolitan Special Constabulary
Sir Hogan-Howe said: "These people are truly remarkable and it is with pride and thanks that I can commend them for their actions."
"The first duty of all police officers is to protect life and it is very clear that through these officers', and indeed a member of the public’s, quick thinking and bravery, many people are alive today that would otherwise not be, and many families have been spared the pain of grief."
The Royal Humane Society is a charity that grants awards for acts of bravery in the saving of human life and, also, for the restoration of life by resuscitation.
