Robin Whatling, a Police Constable at the Stratford Police Station, jumped off the Royal Victoria Dock, into freezing cold water, to save a woman.

Whatling acted without hesitation after receiving a call, on Monday, about a 58-year old woman who, it is believed, fell into the water while trying to retrieve her handbag.

Upon arriving at the scene, Whatling quickly swam out to the stranded woman, who was clinging to a buoy 20 feet from the dock and brought her back to safety. She was then taken to the Newham General Hospital and later discharged, according to reports.

"When I arrived on the scene, my instincts took over. The woman had stopped responding and was showing signs of hypothermia so my first priority was to get her out of the water and to safety," Whatling said in a statement.

"Police officers carry out acts of bravery every day in Newham but this is certainly not an everyday occurrence," Chief Inspector Guy Wade said, in the statement.