Dinting Viaduct - Beyond the Call of Duty

[Revolution Ben]

Hello all,

 

Some will know of Dinting Viaduct on the former Woodhead route just north of Dinting station.  This is the location for one of the stories featured in my book on police bravery Beyond the Call of Duty, published recently.

 

In February 2012 PC Matthew Winterbottom, pictured below at the north end of the station, and his colleague PC Leigh Gyte responded to an emergency call after a woman was spotted on the viaduct. 

 

 

With just seconds to spare Matthew and Leigh managed to pull her clear of an approaching train; saving her life and much to the relief of the train driver.  The train had rounded the corner from Glossop and the driver would have had no time to stop, as I hope this view looking the other way shows.

 

 

I took the photos when I visited the scene with Matthew and Leigh to interview them about what happened.  Standing in the spot they were able to give me a vivid description of the events.

 

Their story, in their own words, is just one told in the book, which also includes accounts of helicopter and clifftop rescues, explains the work of armed police officers, dog handlers and police negotiators and does not shy away from describing the human cost to the officer and their families when they suffer grievous physical injury or or post traumatic stress disorder.

 

 

My co-author is ex Detective Chief Superintendent Nick Kinsella, who is also formery the head of the UK Human Trafficking Centre and now works with the United Nations around the field of human trafficking.  His son is one of those featured in the book.

 

A percentage of the proceeds goes to the Police Dependants' Trust.

 

MODS:  If this post is inappropriate feel free to delete, but I thought it might be of interest as there is not only a railway link, but also there are in my experience many railway modellers within the ranks of the police.

 

cheers

 

Ben A.