Policeman praised for mud rescue

Pc Lee Openshaw said he would do the same again

A policeman jumped into a rapidly rising tide to save two young children stuck on a sandbank at a Gwynedd port.

The girls were 150 metres from the shore at Porth Penrhyn, Bangor, and Pc Lee Openshaw said he had "no choice" but to jump in to reach them.

He managed to free the girls before swimming back to the shore, with the two of them holding on to him.

Inspector Nigel Harrison praised his "outstanding courage". It is the second time Pc Openshaw has been commended.

The children were stuck with the water around their ankles when Pc Openshaw arrived at the scene with a colleague at 1140 BST on Saturday.

His colleague contacted the coastguard and then went to look for a boat.

I feel proud, and it's nice to be recognised, but at the end of the day I was just doing my job. PC Lee Openshaw

With the tide rapidly rising to the children's waists however Pc Openshaw took the decision to swim out to them.

The married father-of-two said: "We saw the girls trapped on a sandbank in the water.

"We ran along the breakwater to get as close as we could to them but we didn't know how long the lifeboat was going to be so I took the decision to go into the water."

Pc Openshaw said he had to take his body armour off before jumping in.

"I managed to wade in but then as the water got deeper I had to swim across to them.

'Doing my job'

"Both girls were crying and screaming and I grabbed them and placed them both on my shoulders and I swam back to shore."

The officer said he did not feel brave, adding: "As I could see the water rising around them I had no choice but to jump in and help.

"I feel proud and it's nice to be recognised but at the end of the day I was just doing my job.

"Our priority is to save life and I did something anybody would have done."

Extensive mud flats are revealed when the tides goes out at Porth Penrhyn

After the rescue he returned to Bangor police station for a shower and change of clothing before carrying on with his shift.

Inspector Harrison said Pc Openshaw made a 300 metre round trip.

"I believe this demonstrated outstanding courage and I have no doubt that had he not intervened the outcome could have been quite different," he said.

Superintendent Mark Jones added: "Constable Openshaw deserves the highest praise and we will now be considering the appropriate nominations for his courageous actions."

It is the second time Lee Openshaw has been commended for his actions.

Whilst working as a police community support officer for three-and-a-half years before becoming a police constable he was commended for taking a knife off somebody at the bus stops in Bangor city centre.