2021 Winner
PC Lisa Macpherson and PC David Fraser
Hero police officers who saved two lives after a car smashed into a rural cottage, setting the home on fire.
PCs Lisa Macpherson, 30, and David Fraser, 42, rescued a woman from her home after it was hit by a car which then caught fire.
The officers helped remove people from the vehicle to safety as the car was engulfed in flames. But by now, the cottage was also ablaze. PC Fraser forced open the locked door, and found 61-year-old Sylvia Walden in her bedroom, unaware of the fire, and led her to safety with her dog.
Ms Walden, who was not injured in the incident, said: “I was fast asleep and didn’t hear the car go into the house. People think it rather funny that I didn’t get woken up by that.
“I could hear shouting. I got up, opened the door and there was a police officer with a torch saying ‘hello, hello this is the police. You need to get out of the house’.”
She said her first concern was for her dog, but was told by the police officer that it was fine before adding that there was a car on fire in her garden.
It took three fire crews from Shawbost, Stornoway and Port of Ness to extinguish the blaze. They left the scene at 3.18am.
Local councillor Kenneth MacLeod said afterwards: “It is not something that happens here and is more like something out of an American police TV drama.”
A spokesman for HM Coastguard in the Western Isles, who were at the scene later, commended the two officer’s bravery during the November 2019 incident: “Huge congratulations on a well-deserved award for their bravery and quick thinking during this incident at Barvas.
“Their actions that night saved two lives. Well done Dave and Lisa from all of us in this area.”
PCs Macpherson and Fraser said jointly: “We are very honoured to have received a Pride of Scotland Award for our actions. In these situations the most important concern is the preservation of life and that is why we acted in the way we did, as would any police officer.”