Hero police saved the life of boy, 17, who was hanging from Buckingham bridge

On the evening of November 5 2021, Thames Valley Police received a report from a member of the public who had seen a teenager sitting on the wrong side of the railings on a bridge in Buckingham.

Four officers, Sgt Oliver Brixey, PC Stuart Hadley, PC Angus Hay and PC Robert Kindred, were dispatched to the scene.

PCs Hadley and Hay were the first to arrive and parked under the bridge, where they could engage with the boy from below.

PC Hay said: “We’d been driving up and down looking for him, as it was a very dark stretch of dual carriageway, but we finally saw him sitting on the bridge.

"I was trying to get basic details from him so I could keep him talking, but then he slipped and fell.

“It was a bridleway bridge, so there was no direct route up to it.

"PC Hadley and I ran up the embankment and hopped a few fences to get on to the top and then we saw he had a rope.

“I tried to hold the rope up but was worried if I held him too long it would be dangerous, so it was a life and death situation.

"PC Hadley was working on untying the knots and at the same time we were trying to get units to block the road.”

Sgt Brixey and PC Kindred drove from the road closure to the bridge in their PSU carrier to enable the other officers to lower the boy on to the roof of the van.

They could hear him gasping for breath before he lost consciousness.

The officers began immediate first aid, until a police car arrived to give him oxygen.

Then paramedics arrived and took over, whereupon the boy regained consciousness and was taken to hospital.

PC Hay said: “It was a very hairy situation, but in the end it was a really good team effort in such a high-pressured environment.

"It’s tough times for the police at the moment, with high demand, so it’s nice to have this recognition from the Bravery Awards.”

Thames Valley Police Federation chair, Craig O’Leary, said: “Police officers are much more than crime fighters and we are so proud of Oliver, Stuart, Angus and Robert.

“The paramedics at the scene said they had no idea how the boy had survived this ordeal and that the officers had saved his life.

“The officers acted quickly and bravely and kept calm despite finding the incident very distressing.

"I commend their amazing teamwork.”

Sgt Brixey and PCs Hadley, Hay and Kindred will attend the 2022 Thames Valley Police Federation Bravery Awards on April 28, where an overall winner will be announced.

The awards are in association with Uniform Mortgages. The hashtag for the event is #TVPFedBravery.

If you are affected by this story, please call the Samaritans.