Brave delivery drivers recognised after rescuing family

When delivery drivers Neil and Stephen clocked in for their shift on 5 March 2025, they probably didn’t expect to end the day as heroes. But that’s exactly what happened.

With Neil at the wheel, and Stephen his trusted partner, the pair were having a normal day delivering parcels across the county.

Then, as they approached Bramcote, everything changed in the blink of an eye.

Recalling the day’s events, Neil said: “It’s a bit of a blur to be honest – I just remember Steve yelling at me to pull over because someone was trying to flag us down.

“We jumped out the van and immediately saw a car had left the road, flipped onto its roof and was starting to sink in a nearby lake.

“We could see what looked like two or three people trapped inside and we weren’t thinking about anything else – instinct just kicked in and we both ran straight to the water...”

Neil dived in while Stephen supported from the bank - forming a chain to reach the car - and within minutes, they’d helped to rescue a mum and her two young children from the submerged car.

Thanks to their quick thinking and decisive actions, all three were pulled to safety before our officers and emergency services arrived to ensure everyone was okay.

However, it was clear that the actions of Neil and Stephen in those critical early moments were instrumental in preventing a potentially tragic outcome.

At the time, the pair were simply glad to have helped – accepting the mum’s thanks and thinking little more of it.

But without their intervention, the consequences could have been far worse, and their actions have since been recognised with a Chief Constable’s commendation at a recent awards ceremony.

Presenting the award, the Chief Constable praised the pair’s courage and public spirit – describing their actions as an example of the very best of our community.

Interestingly, it’s not the first time Neil’s gone above and beyond while at work as a few years back, he smashed down an elderly customer’s door after she’d collapsed on the floor. All in a day’s work, it seems.

Neil added: “It definitely wasn’t your typical shift, but we just wanted to help and we’re glad we were able to get them out safely.

“Most days the job is pretty uneventful, so this was something completely different. We’re both really proud and thankful to be recognised, but I honestly think anyone would have done the same.”

As the saying goes: not all heroes wear capes…some have delivery uniforms!