Two police officers from Barnet have saved a woman's life after her car plunged into a freezing lake in north London.
Two North London police officers today described how they braved freezing temperatures to rescue a woman trapped in her car in a lake in Totteridge.
PCs Ryan Perry and Marc Cash plunged into the water and smashed one of the vehicle's windows, before pulling the woman to safety.
Paul Brand went to meet them.
The woman, who was pulled from her car after falling unconscious at the wheel and driving into a lake in Barnet yesterday, is said to be conscious and stable in hospital.
She was treated for hypothermia and minor cuts, after plunging into the water yesterday morning.
And the police officers who came to her rescue are both back on the beat.
PC Marc Cash said:
“When we arrived at the scene we could tell straight away that we did not have much time, the car was beginning to sink and the driver was un-responsive to our shouts.“When we jumped into the lake, the cold water just took your breath away and I felt it hard to make my next breath. We tried to stand, but we started to sink into the mud at the bottom of the lake and eventually the water came up to our chin, so we had to swim throughout the entire rescue”.
PC Ryan Perry said:
“Prior to jumping into the lake we looked around for any rescue equipment but there was none. We realised this was a serious situation and that we had to act fast, so we took off our heavy equipment and went into the lake.After several attempts to break the window it final gave way and we were able to pull the woman from the car. We’re both glad that this ended without anyone being too seriously hurt.”
Two police officers who swam across a freezing lake to drag a woman from a sinking car have spoken about what happened.
The officers made the heroic rescue yesterday morning in Totteridge after the woman fell unconscious at the wheel of her car and it careered into the water.
Today they returned to where the accident happened to speak to our reporter Paul Brand.
They described what greeted them as they arrived at the scene:
Two police officers from Barnet have saved a woman's life after her car plunged into a freezing lake in north London.
A 999 call was made just after 8am this morning by a member of the public who saw the car driving into a lake on Totteridge Lane with the female driver apparently unconscious
The two police officers dived into the water and smashed a window of the car, dragging the woman to safety.
She has been taken to a north London hospital for treatment but she has no serious injuries.
Barnet Borough Commander Adrian Usher said:
"I am incredibly proud of these officers and wouldlike to pay tribute to the speed and courage with which they acted to protectthe life of this driver.
"In the bitterly cold conditions we have today, there is little doubt that a sustained period in the water would have posed a serious threat to the woman's life.
"This incident demonstrates the lengths that officers in Barnet, London and across the country are willing to go to in order to protect members of the communities they serve, and they are deserving of our utmost gratitude."