Today three officers received Police Bravery Medals for their heroic actions which saved lives.
In the early hours of 19 January 2025, Senior Sergeant Andrew Suter and Brevet Sergeant Steven Birchall from Water Operations Unit responded to the Grange foreshore. A suspect was evading custody and started swimming out to sea.
The officers quickly entered the water to rescue and apprehend the man who was barely visible and swimming further out to sea.
With no light, the officers rescued and recovered the suspect who was struggling to breathe approximately 300 metres offshore. It took them 15 minutes to return to the beach.
SA Ambulance Service advised the man would most likely have drowned if not rescued in a timely manner.
Senior Sergeant Suter and Brevet Sergeant Birchall both acted courageously by placing themselves at risk, to save a man from drowning.
Senior Constable Geoffrey Munn also received an award for saving a woman at Wallaroo on 4 October 2024.He responded to reports a woman was approximately 100metres offshore and suffered medical conditions.
The Wallaroo Sea Rescue squadron was delayed and as first on scene, Senior Constable First Class Munn considered the imminent risk to life and swam out with floatation devices.
When he located the woman, she was lying on her back and seemed to be having a seizure. He managed to monitor and maintain her airway, as he swam back to shore. Munn was in the water for ten minutes with the female before being assisted by a member of the public on a paddleboard.
Senior Constable First Class Munn's quick and decisive action, understanding the risk to himself, he prevented imminent harm to a female in crisis.
