Wading into the icy waters of the River Cherwell, two police officers risked their lives to drag a suicidal woman to safety in sub-zero temperatures.

Sgt Mark Brock and Pc Aidan Donohoe thought nothing of throwing off their jackets and wading into the water just before 3.30am, even though the temperature was -2.6C.

Worried relatives of the 40-year-old woman – who was known to the police as a high-risk case – raised the alarm after she went missing from her Oxford home in the early hours last Monday.

Police officers from the Oxford response team were sent out to scour the city for her, and she was eventually found by Sgt Brock on the banks of the Cherwell near Magdalen Bridge, staring into the water.

Before he could reach her she plunged into the water and made her way under the bridge into the deepest part of the river.

Sgt Brock said: “I got onto the punts to try to get hold of her, but she had already got deeper into the water before I could get near her.”

Wading through the icy water she made her way under the bridge towards the Botanic Garden, where she was spotted by Pc Donohoe.

He said: “I jumped the fence to the Botanic Garden and I couldn’t see her, so started looking with my torch.

“She was in the middle of the river and the only parts of her visible were her face and finger tips, she was just looking up at the sky.

“We had the fire brigade on the way and it would have been ideal to wait for them.

“I was conscious of the fact that it was really cold and then the water started lapping over her face and we were shouting to her, but there was no response.

“I saw the water lapping her face and thought ‘she’s going to go under’. She had a really blank expression on her face, she didn’t care.”

At that point he knew he had no choice but to go in.

“It was so cold it took my breath away,” he said.

Swimming a couple of strokes out into the middle of the river, Pc Donohoe grabbed the woman’s hood and dragged her to safety, lifting her from the river with the help of Sgt Brock who had waded out to reach them.

Paramedics took the woman to John Radcliffe Hospital and she was later released.

The two officers made the way back to the police station to warm up.

“It was a case of a good long hot shower back at the station,” Sgt Brock said.