Police volunteer praised after saving three-year-old boy's life while on way to work

Special Inspector Louise Rock, a volunteer police inspector within the Special Constabulary at South Yorkshire Police, was on her way to work last summer when she came across a crash in Haigh Lane in Barnsley.

She realised the car had crashed into a wall and noticed a number of people looking distressed, including a man holding a child.

Louise leapt into action when she recognised the three-year-old was unconscious, not breathing and had blood coming out of his mouth.

She performed first aid on the boy, and once he began to breathe again she placed him in the recovery position and monitored him until the paramedics arrived.

The volunteer then liaised with the paramedics and also checked in on the child’s mother following the crash in June 2024.

Her heroic actions have been praised by her colleagues within the Special Constabulary and across the wider force, including Special Constabulary Chief Officer Craig Batham MBE.

She has also been given an award by the Royal Humane Society in recognition of her life-saving actions.

S/Chief Officer Batham said: “S/Insp Rock demonstrated tremendous professionalism and quick thinking while dealing with a difficult situation off-duty, proving that while she is a volunteer police officer with a day job outside of SYP, that officers are never truly off-duty.

“During the incident, S/Insp Rock had to take into account the distress the child’s family were in, the structural safety of the wall which had been hit, members of the public who had gathered due to the collision, and the privacy of the child and his family.

“We are extremely proud of her professionalism and dedication to help the local community, whether on or off-duty, and we are extremely pleased that her efforts contributed in saving a life. She is truly worthy of recognition by receiving a Royal Humane Society award.”