Watch moment heroic Blackpool police officer races to save woman from sea as tide rapidly rises

Officers were out and about making sure everyone was enjoying the Ride the Lights event safely on Tuesday evening when the incident occurred.

While PC Nelson was chatting to the public and looking out for anything untoward, his attention was quickly brought to a woman in danger.

She had slipped off the sea defence wall just as the tide was starting to rapidly come in.

Knowing the danger she would be in, PC Nelson - along with his colleagues Sgt Higgs, PC Dixon and PC Walker - ran to her aid.

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Dramatic bodycam footage shows him throwing the woman a life ring before pulling her to safety.

In the footage, PC Nelson can be heard saying: "Look at me. Listen, listen. I'm gonna help you. You're all right. Take a deep breath.

"Right, listen to me very carefully. I want you to put that round your waist, under your arms.

"Take a good firm hold of that rope. What I'm going to do is I'm going to pull you up and I need you to walk. Hold tight, hold on tight."

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After being brought to safety, PC Nelson reassures the woman that she’s okay before escorting her away from the area.

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: “Whilst the lady was shaken, she received medical attention and has now made a full recovery thanks to PC Nelson’s incredibly swift actions, which just go to show that our officers have to be ready to attend to any kind of emergency at all times.”

An hour after the post was published, it had already received more than 1,500 likes and 230 comments from people praising the actions of the officers.

One person wrote: “Amazing work guys, well done. Quick thinking and actions saved the day.”

Another added: “What a hero! Well done PC Nelson! So glad to hear the lady has recovered well.”

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If you see someone in trouble in the water or on the coast:

• If you’re at a lifeguarded beach tell the lifeguard
• Call 999 and ask for the Coastguard 
• Don’t hang up – stay on the line and keep the person in sight
• Don’t enter the water, stay back from rough seas
• If the person is in the water tell them to float on their back with their arms and legs out and to stay as calm as possible - remember Float to Live 
• Look for lifesaving equipment such as lifebelts or throwbags; hold onto the end of the rope before throwing it in 
• If the person is unconscious and not breathing you may need to start CPR 
• Don’t try and rescue a person or animal from cliffs or mud - call 999 and ask for the Coastguard

To find out more, visit: https://hmcoastguard.uk/in-an-emergency