Two police officers were praised today for saving the life of a woman motorist who drove into a freezing lake.
They dived in — still wearing uniforms — as the car began to sink beneath the surface in Barnet, with the driver apparently unconscious.
The officers swam 10 yards to the Nissan Micra, smashed a window then dragged her free before battling to revive her on the bank.
Paramedics treated the 32-year-old motorist for signs of hypothermia and she was taken to hospital, where her condition was said to be stable.
The alarm was raised by a member of the public who saw the car being driven into the lake just off Totteridge Lane at about 8am.
Barnet Borough Commander Adrian Usher said: “I am incredibly proud of these officers and pay tribute to the speed and courage with which they acted. In today’s bitterly cold conditions there is little doubt a sustained period in the water would have posed a serious threat to the woman’s life.
“This incident shows the lengths that officers in Barnet, London and across the country are willing to go to in order to protect members of the communities they serve, and they are deserving of our utmost gratitude.”
The officers were treated in hospital for exposure to the cold and given the rest of the day off. Police also said the unnamed woman was later taken for further treatment to a north London hospital, where her condition has been confirmed as non-life-threatening.
Officers are investigating why she drove into the lake, next to the house of former Arsenal FC vice-chairman David Dein. The club’s manager Arsene Wenger also lives nearby.
Mr Dein’s wife said she and her husband were asleep at the time and did not hear anything.
