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Jackson pair praised for water rescue
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Two Jackson colleagues have been praised for their role in saving a man from a river near where they were working.
Regional engineer Oliver Manning and site worker Robert Abbott rushed to the rescue while carrying out emergency repairs on a river lock in the centre of Bedford.
Several people were trying to help a man who was struggling in the water some distance from the bank of the Great River Ouse, which runs through the town.
Both Oliver and Robert have been water rescue-trained, so they remained calm and put their training into action, dropping a lifebelt over the man to help him stay afloat. By the time they had pulled him to safety, he had been in the water for more than five minutes and was very cold and confused.
Bedford Lock - April 2023 (20)
'A massive thank you'
Luckily, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service safety officer Stacey Moore was on hand, although off duty, and the pair helped where they could.
“They assisted me in obtaining next of kin details, contacting the family and keeping the man safe by talking to him until the Police and finally ambulance arrived on scene,” said Stacey, who e-mailed the company to praise Oliver and Robert.
“This enabled us to give relevant information to paramedics about his current mental health and the events leading up to him being in the river, so they could assess and treat him appropriately.”
Bedford Lock - April 2023 (23)

'I would like to say a massive well done and thank you - had it not been for Oliver and Robert’s actions on that day, the outcome for the gentleman may have been very different.'

Stacey Moore, Safety Officer, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
Bedford Lock - April 2023 (29)
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