Pictured: Hero police officer who died after being hit by train while trying to save distressed man’s life
Tributes have been paid to a ‘hugely respected’ police officer who was hit by a train while trying to save a distressed man on the tracks.
Sergeant Graham Saville suffered serious injuries after being was hit in Balderton, near Newark-on-Trent, last Thursday.
The 46-year-old was taken to Queen’s Medical Centre where he died on Tuesday, according to Nottinghamshire Police.
Friends shared fond memories of the dad-of-two on Facebook after reports of his tragic death was confirmed.
‘Truly awful news to hear about our friend Graham Saville. Many good times had with this Hero. Rest well mate,’ Dave Kerry wrote.
Another friend, Abby Em, said: ‘Thanks for being the best tutor ever and the best man. You’ll always be a hero.’
Flags across the force will be flown at half-mast today as a mark of respect to the ‘popular colleague’.
Chief Constable Kate Meynell stressed that his ‘service and sacrifice’ will never be forgotten.
Paying respect to her colleague, she added: ‘Today is a day of mourning for the entire police family.
‘Graham was a hugely respected and popular colleague and his death in the line of duty has come as an enormous shock to us all.
‘Our hearts and deepest condolences go out to his family. We will do everything we can to support them through this unimaginably devastating time.
‘It is impossible to put into words how devastating this news is for everyone who loved and respected Graham.
‘On Thursday, he went to work to protect the people of Nottinghamshire from harm, and it is testament to his bravery and dedication as a police officer that he was fatally injured while attempting to save another man’s life.’
Senior officers as well as Robert Jenrick, MP for Newark, whose constituency also includes Balderton, the policing minister and the home secretary paid tributes.
Former colleague Simon Riley described him as ‘everything that you would want in a police officer’.
He told the Today programme that Sgt Saville worked under his command a few years ago, and said he was ‘caring, compassionate, strongly determined, and just generally an all-around good, professional police officer’.
‘It’s fair to say that it has absolutely devastated the force, from everybody that I’ve spoken to and everybody that’s contacted us, everybody’s deeply saddened by it,’ he added.
‘It is often a cliché that we are a police family and when something like this happens it deeply affects us all, and that extends to beyond Nottingham as well.’
A JustGiving crowdfunder to help Sgt Saville’s family has surpassed £85,0000 so far, with almost 5,000 people donating.
Sgt Saville’s family has requested that their privacy be respected, Nottinghamshire Police said.
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