Hero cops risk lives to save med student from drowning

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Days after the Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith was able to rescue one of his officers from drowning, on Thursday two of his police officers also took on the role as lifeguards when they rescued a medical student who got into difficulties while bathing off the North Coast.

But the two officers placed their lives at risk when they too encountered difficulty at sea while trying to save the man from drowning.

According to a police report, around noon, PC Sampson of the Blanchisseuse Police Station was on duty at station when he received a phone call that a group of people were experiencing difficulties while bathing at the Mon Poui Beach, approximately one mile from the Marianne Spring Bridge.

PC Sampson in the company of his colleague, PC Quintero, of the San Juan Substation who was present at the station at the time, both responded.

On arrival, the officers saw 26-year-old Moses Paul approximately 150 feet out at sea clinging to a rock.

Both PC Sampson and Quintero jumped into action and got into the rough waters swimming out to sea equipped with life jackets and buoy in an effort to rescue the victim.

But while attempting to reach the med student, who was in distress, the officers also got into difficulty while in the sea.

However, reports revealed the pair persisted and eventually managed the rough waters and successfully rescued Paul, who suffered several injuries about his body from being battered on the rocks.

Paul of Lendore Village, Chaguanas was part of a group of friends which included medical lab technicians Nicholas Bengie, 23, of Railway Road, Arouca; Vijai Ramkissoon, 34, of Sister’s Road, Williamsville and Cody Sandasie, 27, of Garib Street, Ben Lomond, Williamsville at the beach.

Last Sunday, Griffith saved one member of his own security detail from drowning at Store Bay, Tobago.

Griffith said he and the officer were about to board a vessel from a dinghy about 100 metres from the shoreline when the officer slipped and fell into the ocean and got into difficulty.

Griffith, who was the only person on the vessel at the time was forced to dive in and keep the officer afloat before Griffith was able to get assistance and place the officer back onto the vessel.