'Amazing' Northampton Guardians hailed for rescuing 'distressed' person in River Nene on Saturday night

A spokeswoman for the Guardians shared a rescue story on social media, explaining that two of their volunteers, on one of their regular patrols through the town, noticed a group of people looking over a bridge. When they stopped to check, they were told that someone was in the river.

The Northampton Guardians support vulnerable individuals, both female and male, in the town’s night-time economy.

"The two members of our team stopped to see what was happening, and they were informed that someone was in the water," the spokeswoman wrote.

In a swift response, the two volunteers made their way down to the water's edge while updating CCTV control to alert emergency services. Before the police, fire, and ambulance arrived, the volunteers worked together to pull the person from the water to safety.

"Through the hard work of our team, they were brought to safety and handed over to the ambulance service," the spokeswoman continued. "Although this is outside of our intended purpose, the hearts of our volunteers are so big they put themselves at risk of harm to help save a life!"

Members of the public have praised the guardians, with hundreds sharing their story and offering words of thanks. Charl Haden praised the team’s dedication, saying: "Amazing news. Well done to all of you giving up your free time to go out and walk the streets in an effort to keep the public safe. You do an amazing job. Keep it up."

Jayne Iacovides said: "Well done to those particular Guardians, but thank you also to all of your volunteers."

Cheryl Wright added: “Wow, what a weekend you've had. Thank you for everything you do for people.”

However, the Guardians also faced a disturbing incident of violence just days earlier when two of their volunteers were assaulted while assisting an intoxicated woman. The spokeswoman explained: “On Friday, while assisting an intoxicated woman, two of our Guardians were assaulted, causing wounds to the face of one and swelling to the face of the other!"

One of the vehicles was also damaged in the incident, now out of service and requiring repairs, which will impact their ability to respond to future calls.

Despite the assault, the Guardians team expressed their gratitude for the prompt response from Northampton CCTV Control and Northamptonshire Police, who arrested the offender.

“Assaults on our volunteers are not tolerated, and we will always support prosecution of the perpetrator,” the spokeswoman said. “We have a zero-tolerance approach to this kind of behaviour and have the full support of Northamptonshire Police when incidents like this do occur!"

The Guardians also reassured the public that such incidents would not deter them from their vital work. “Although this behaviour is not nice for the victims, we will continue to provide the vital service that we do and continue to support those that need us. We know that we're appreciated by the majority. The actions of a few will never stop us!”