An Edinburgh based detective risked his own life by jumping into cold water at Leigh Docks to rescue a drowning toddler.
DC Glynn Powell has been praised for the selfless act after saving the three-year-olds life.
When DC Powell spotted the toddler, he immediately stripped down to his underwear whilst running towards the edge of the docks.
The officer had just finished his shift and was relaxing at his dockside flat in Leigh, Edinburgh when he heard a neighbour’s screams for help.
The neighbour had spotted the toddler floating underneath the water in Albert Dock and had thrown life-ring into the water, but the three-year-old could not grab it and had gone under the murky water.
As soon as DC Powell realised what was happening, he immediately ran towards the water’s edge before entering the water.
He swam to the motionless toddler and took her to safety before giving her life-saving first aid on the edge of the dock.
The hero DC then took the casualty to his flat, where he waited for paramedics to arrive.
After spending a night at a local hospital, the three-year-old was released. Thanks to the quick actions of DC Glynn, she is expected to make a full recovery.
Glynn said: “I had just got home at about 4.30 pm, had my usual shower and was relaxing in a chair. I heard a commotion out the back and saw a child motionless under the water 10 metres from the dockside.
“I ran from my flat out the back door, taking my clothes off as I did so until I was down to my underwear. There is a four or five-metre drop down to the water, and I used the ladder to lower myself into the water to avoid hitting any debris which might have been lying under the surface.
“I swam over to the girl and brought her back to the ladder. I thought she was dead at first, and all I was doing was recovering a body from the water. However, as I climbed the ladder with the girl on my shoulder, she was suddenly sick. It was the first indication she was alive.
“By the time she was lain on the ground, she had regained consciousness. It was as if she had come back from the dead.”
The girl, who lived nearby in another flat with her mum, had fallen into the water after wandering off.
The detective suffered cuts and grazes and was back at work the next day, where he was given a tetanus jab.
Glynn paid tribute to his neighbours, who also helped out with the rescue.
He added:
“It was a team effort. Had the neighbour not seen her go in the water, she would have died. Others called the emergency services or brought out towels. Everyone was in the right place at the right time.
“You don’t think of yourself as a hero in the circumstances.”
This Thursday, Glynn’s bravery will be recognised at an awards ceremony in Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh, organised by the Scottish Police Federation.
He will attend with his police officer wife Heather, 49.
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