PC Rhys Gravell-Williams was in London when he jumped into action
A Welsh police officer saved a woman’s life when he kicked down her door and saved her from a fire in a London hotel. PC Rhys Gravell-Williams, from Brecon, was staying in London to help the Metropolitan police cover Palestine Action protests when he jumped into action.
The 36-year-old was asleep in his hotel room in early September when he woke at 3am to the sound of fire alarms going off in his hotel room.
He said: “At first I thought it was just protocol and that someone must be smoking. It was such a big hotel I thought someone had just triggered the activation alarm.
“Then as time went by I heard people rushing down the hallway so I got changed, came out of my door, and looked up to my right-hand side. They said: ‘There is a fire in this hotel room’.
“The door was on the emergency latch – it was open a couple of inches. I pushed the door open slightly and started shouting to hear if there were any voices.
“There was no response but there was a massive amount of water from the sprinklers coming from the ceiling and coming out underneath the door. There was also a lot of steam so I wasn’t too sure if there was a fire or not.”
The police officer asked staff whether they had an emergency key but they did not. He then made the decision to enter the room to preserve life as he believed there was someone in there due to how it had been blocked. For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here.
PC Gravell-Williams said the staff didn’t want to damage the door but he said the damage could be replaced and his intincts kicked in prompting him to kick the door down.
As him and another officer tried to find their way through the pitch-black room they had to contest with “steam and sprinklers going off everywhere”.
When he got into the main room he found a woman during an apparent suicide attempt. He leapt into action and led her out down the fire escape.
PC Gravell-Williams said his actions had just been “natural instinct”.
After his heroic rescue he then completed a 24-hour shift.
Reflecting on when he met up with his colleagues afterwards he said: “When they saw me, because of the sprinkler system and the dirt, I was absolutely stinking and soaking.
“When I have come back to Wales at my home station I got a good reception. I think what happened spread like wildfire if I am honest.”
Hours after the rescue he was sitting with colleagues when Metropolitan Police commissioner Mark Rowley approached their table to personally recognise PC Gravell-Williams’ actions.
He said Mr Rowley told him: ‘I just want to congratulate you on what happened this morning.”
PC Gravell-Williams added: “Following that the assistant chief, who is also gold command, came up and asked me to come down to meet everyone but I couldn’t as I was being deployed.
“Mark Rowley said he would be writing a letter to the chief constable at Dyfed-Powys and he would be passing on his thanks and that he would be recommending me for a commendation.
“It caught me off-guard. I never expected to meet him – it felt like a big achievement. I think it was my proudest moment.”
Chief constable Ifan Charles of Dyfed-Powys Police praised the officer for his “exemplary bravery and quick thinking”.
He added: “Demonstrating unwavering commitment to duty PC Gravell-Williams thereafter continued his shift, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the community.
“This remarkable display of dedication and resilience reflects the highest standards and PC Gravell-Williams serves as an inspiring example to all.”
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