Constable Stephen Gorry is the latest nomination for Isle of Man Newspapers’ Community Police Officer of the Year award.

Mr Gorry was nominated by Castletown resident Anne Alcock who said: ’Steve left a very good professional job as a civil engineer because he wanted to do something for the community.

’If we were ever in need of an officer he would be the one for us to turn to.’

Mr Gorry received the Chief Constable’s Commendation for Saving a Life at last year’s Police Awards.

Along with Constable David Thommeny he dived into the sea off Douglas promenade and swam 50 metres to save a man who was in difficulty.

The officers spent more than 20 minutes in the cold water keeping the man afloat until the coastguard reached them and brought them all to safety.

A couple visiting the island from Dorset emailed the Chief Constable to praise the officers.

They said that it was ’quite the bravest thing we have ever seen. The officers just plunged in regardless of their own safety. Fantastic’.

Constable Gorry, who described his nomination as ’very kind and unexpected’ went on to explain that joining the police had been a long-held dream of his.

’It was something I wanted to do when I was 15 or 16 but I was good at maths and physics,’ he explained.

’That led to university and a Masters degree, followed by 17 years as a civil engineer, managing projects in the construction industry.’

In 2014 he finally gave it up to join the constabulary:

’I wanted a new challenge and to give something back,’ he said.

He was initially based in Douglas with the Central Neighbourhood policing team but moved down to Castletown, where he and his family live, in September 2016.

He said of the move: ’I’m a community guy: I’m a Round Tabler and I coach rugby and I drive young people with disabilities to the Phab youth club in Cronk-y-Berry and I’ve done those things for years so it was a good fit for me.’

He is also police liaison officer for Victoria Road School. As well as giving talks to the children he also sees this as a protection role: ’I spend a lot of time on a high visibility foot patrol around the school, looking out for people driving too fast or using mobile phones which are an absolute no-no near a school.’