THE 2023 BRAVERY AWARDS REGION 7


WINNER SOUTH WALES


PC Owen Bedford, Insp. Paul Ramsey, DI Paul Graham & First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford


PC Owen Bedford, Inspector Paul Ramsay, DI Paul Graham and an anonymous officer


The four officers formed a human chain to save a woman precariously positioned over a crumbling cliff in poor light conditions


In the early hours of 12 April 2022, South Wales Police received a call from a distressed woman on the edge of high, steep cliffs at Southerndown, Vale of Glamorgan.


She informed the call operator she was hanging quite far over the edge – her feet were dangling over.


PC Owen Bedford and another officer, who wishes to remain anonymous, were deployed to the call; the on-duty Cardiff Bronze Inspector, Paul Ramsay, and Detective Inspector Paul Graham, who was a PS at the time, also assigned themselves to the call. The Coastguard and force drone teams were requested as the police helicopter was unavailable. First on scene was Inspector Ramsay who


located the woman in a highly precarious and vulnerable position hanging on to crumbling rock surrounded by wet grass over the cliff’s face. It was immediately obvious to all officers that any intervention and effort to save her could not wait; she was at immediate risk of falling and would have minimal chances of survival if she fell. DI Graham recalled: “It was pitch dark


and the ground was soaking wet with dew. The woman was located at the bottom of a gradient into a sheer drop. The consistency


of the rocky surface at that location was not very firm and crumbly. There have been regular landslides along the coast of the cliffs, so I was aware that what we were standing on was not very safe.


“I was fully aware that we were all in a life and death situation at that point.” The woman was conversing with the officers as they made efforts to reach down and haul her to safety. However, she was at the limit of their reach and unable to be rescued without further dramatic action. DI Graham’s instinctive first thought


was to save life and he organised a human chain, at the end of which he dangled as he tried to reach her.


The four officers demonstrated great bravery and little regard for their personal safety as they linked and supported one another over the wet, crumbling, and exposed cliff edge in the dark. Holding onto PC Bedford as a base, DI Graham reached out to the woman but was unable to get a firm grip of her hand. “I thought I’m not going to be able to pull her back over the edge of the cliff with one hand. She didn’t have much upper body strength and though she was unable to assist much, she was clearly trying her best to try and get back up the cliff. “I let go of PC Bedford and put both


hands out to try and pull her up and had got hold of her hands. “PC Bedford was holding my weight. I had got hold of her and then suddenly I didn’t. “I was pulling her as hard as I possibly


could and did the best that I could to try and save her life,” DI Graham further recollected.


The officers rushed to locate her at the base of the cliff but found her unresponsive and unable to be resuscitated by CPR.


Upon receiving the award, DI Paul Graham said, “It is very humbling, but the important part of this for us was the recognition of the family. They’re who matter most. The support from South Wales Police has been fantastic and shows it as a real family and a wonderful organisation to work for.” Jeremy Vaughan, Chief Constable of South Wales Police, said the officers involved in what he accepted was a ‘truly awful’ incident were a credit to policing. “They demonstrated sheer courage and determination, and their actions in really difficult and dangerous circumstances, prevented the tragedy that unfolded becoming even worse,” he added. Steve Treharne, Chair of South Wales


Police Federation, said the officers were worthy nominees for the award and added: “These officers were really courageous and did their utmost to try to save this lady’s life. “I commend them for their actions and welcome the fact that their bravery will be recognised.”


19 | POLICE | AUGUST | 2023


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