Two Northamptonshire officers pulled a screaming man out of marshland, very probably saving his life.

PCs Sean Watters and Rebecca Woolliscroft responded to a call from a member of the public, who contacted the Force control room to say that he could hear screams for help coming from the direction of a country park.

On reaching the scene, the officers were unable to locate anyone in difficulty but they carried out a thorough search of the area and subsequently found an 18-year-old local man who, although conscious and breathing, was submerged up to his neck in a swamp.

The man was extremely wet and cold and had been submerged for more than an hour, unable to extricate himself.

The officers, exercising extreme caution, both entered the marshland, becoming covered in mud and water and putting themselves at risk in the process.

Using bodily force, they dragged the man from the swamp, administered first aid to him and called an ambulance.

The man was assessed by paramedics and taken home – he was wet and cold but otherwise unharmed.

At the time of the rescue the weather conditions were very poor and the man’s life could have been in danger had it not been for the prompt action of the two officers.

PC Woolliscroft said: “If the man had stayed in that swamp I doubt whether he would have seen the night through.

“It was lucky we were able to locate him as we only picked up the cries for help from close to the underpass where we were initially.

“I understand he had just gone to light up a cigarette and strayed off the footpath and into this swamp. I don’t know what was in there but it didn’t smell very nice at all.

“The weather was awful and the mud and water made the rescue operation very difficult but we managed to drag him out and I don’t believe he required hospital treatment.”

Inspector Dave Lawson, of Northamptonshire West’s Incident Resolution Team, said: “This was excellent work by both officers.

“They did not have much to go on when they arrived at the scene but they distinguished themselves by carrying out an extensive search to locate this man, who was clearly in a very distressed state.”