Two lion-hearted Hillingdon police officers have been nominated for a prestigious Metropolitan Police award after they heroically rescued a woman from a burning house in South Ruislip.
PCs Shand Panesar and Craig Nicholson were praised for showing “immense bravery” after they were called to the blaze in Bridgewater Road on September 20 last year.
The fire had broken out at 8.41pm and took 21 firefighters over an hour to bring it under control.
Without safety equipment, the two officers charged into the flame-engulfed house without hesitation.
The officers were first forced out of the building again by the blaze, but PC Nicholson took several deep breaths and re-entered using only his police shirt to cover his mouth and nose.
Inside he was able to find a trapped man who he guided out of the building, before he located the unconscious woman and dragged her out of the house.
Once outside, PC Nicholson disregarded his own breathing difficulties and started CPR until the ambulance service arrived, while PC Panesar attended to the injured man.
The woman has since made a full recovery and paramedics said the woman would have died if PC Nicholson did not rescue her from the building and carry out CPR.
The public vote opened on Monday (January 16) and closes on Monday, February 6.
A winner will be presented with their award at a ceremony on February 10.
