A JustGiving fundraiser for the immediate family of Sergeant Graham Saville, the police officer who died after being struck by a train while helping someone off the tracks, has raised over £100,000.
Nottinghamshire Police were called to Balderton near Newark-on-Trent at around 7pm last Thursday (24 August) over concerns for a 29-year-old man's safety.
Response officer Sergeant Graham Saville sustained severe injuries after being struck by a train while attempting to rescue a 'distressed' man on the tracks during the incident.
He was rushed to the Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, where he sadly died on 29 August surrounded by his family.
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The man the police officer was helping suffered non-life-threatening electrocution injuries, with British Transport Police investigating the incident which they said occurred on the railway lines near Newark Northgate station.
A fundraiser on crowdfunding website JustGiving was set up for Sergeant Saville's family with the aim of raising £100,000 and today (30 August) it has surpassed that goal thanks to donations from thousands of people.
The donation page set up in honour of the 46-year-old said it was an 'appeal to the community in order to assist the immediate family of the fallen police officer'.
The JustGiving fundraiser which recently surpassed £100,000 described Saville as 'the epitome of policing bravery' and said the money 'will hopefully assist' his family.
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Over 5,000 people have donated to the fundraiser for the family of Sergeant Saville.
Saville was described as a 'hugely respected and popular colleague' by Nottinghamshire Police Chief Constable Kate Maynell, who said his death had been 'an enormous shock to us all'.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said Sergeant Saville began his policing career in London where he worked as a special constable before transferring to the regular service.
He worked across neighbourhood and response teams, and Commissioner Rowley said he was 'demonstrating the very best of policing' when he was attempting to rescue the 'distressed' person on the tracks.
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The senior officer said Saville had acted 'courageously and selflessly', showing he was 'prepared to risk his life to save another'.
He said: "In what is the most unimaginable moments for them, Graham’s loved ones, his colleagues both within Nottinghamshire and here in the Met, can rightly be proud of him."
Police are not carrying out a criminal investigation into Sergeant Saville's death as the British Transport Police continue to lead the inquiry into the incident which led to his death.
Topics: UK News
Joe Harker