A HEROIC police officer was praised for averting a potential tragedy after rescuing a man from the sea in March.
PC Adam Hawkes swam almost 100 metres to the aid of a 52 year old man who was seen floating off Loch Promenade in Douglas.
The man had turned blue and was totally unresponsive by the time PC Hawkes reached him. The officer pulled a life ring over his head and kept his airway clear before being assisted by lifeboat crew.
Inspector Mark Britton praised the bravery of the PC who went in after finding the two nearest life buoy boxes empty.
He said: "The Isle of Man Constabulary is extremely proud of the officer's actions. Without them the fate of the man did not look promising.
"One of the primary roles of a police officer is to protect and to save life. It is clear in this case that the officer has done exactly that. He has been extremely brave.
"But this rescue serves to highlight that the life preservation rings are needed. The fact that they were not available could have led to a tragic incident."
Inspector Britton continued: "Police officers were greatly assisted by the coastguard, lifeboat crew, two ambulance crews and staff at Noble's. It was a truly great team effort by all concerned."
PC Hawkes was treated for hypothermia after the incident.
