Sergeant Paul Williamson from Dubbo, far south coast commander Superintendent Michael Willing who left Orana command in September, and Leading Senior Constable Shawn Schussler with the State Crime Fraud Squad were presented with awards from NSW Governor Professor Marie Bashir.

The three men dived into freezing water on September 16 2003 in an attempt to rescue a drowning teenager.

As reported in the Daily Liberal at the time the incident began shortly before 2.30pm when police chased two suspects wanted for questioning in relation to a home invasion.

One of the youths, then 17, was found hiding in a willow tree on the edge of the riverbank.

A 19-year-old was spotted trying to escape police by swimming to the centre of the river and ignored requests to come to the river’s edge.

Police reported the man became distressed while treading water, prompting Supt Willing, Sgt Williamson and Leading Snr Cons Schussler, as they are now known, to dive into the water and try to rescue him.

The three police officers were in the water for up to half an hour, “swimming upstream and diving under logs and other obstructions in the river in an attempt to find the man”.

The body of the man was discovered in the early hours of the following morning.

Sixty-three people including 28 current and former NSW Police Force personnel were recognised for acts of courage when responding to incidents that included house fires, serious motor vehicle crashes and other dangerous rescue operations.

NSW Police Force commissioner Andrew Scipione praised all the officers who were commended at yesterday’s awards presentation.

“These officers displayed great courage and selflessness, putting their own lives on the line to save others,” he said. “Police men and women go to work every day not knowing what they might be confronted with in the course of their duties.

“These people have demonstrated true courage in dangerous situations and they are a credit to the NSW Police Force and themselves.”