David Hasselhoff is hoping to meet with a hero student police officer nicknamed ‘The Hoff’ after he saw a video of the PC jumping into freezing water to save a man in Greater Manchester.
The actor, who played head lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in Baywatch, was alerted to officer Mohammed Nadeem’s heroics when Hardy’s Gate Bridge in Bury became the scene of a rescue that could have come straight out of the classic 90s TV show.
The student police officer showed nerves of steel to brave the bracing temperatures of the River Irwell to assist a man in distress, thus earning himself the nickname ‘The Hoff’ from colleagues.
Student officer PC Mohammed Nadeem (left) has been nicknamed ‘The Hoff’ by his colleagues after Baywatch star David Hasselhoff (right), who now wants to meet him
Hasselhoff, who also starred in 80s television series Knight Rider, praised the student officer, dubbing PC Nadeem as ‘the new Hoff’.
The actor added: ‘The real heroes are the ones who act on instinct without hesitation, the ones who believe that we all can help each other.
‘I want to meet the real heroes and say, ‘Good on you. Let me shake your hand’… ‘One man can make a difference’ is the theme of Knight Rider, this student police officer made the difference. So cool, so proud. Give it up for Mohammed, the new Hoff.’
The Baywatch star tweeted his praise of PC Nadeem as ‘the new Hoff’.
David Hasselhoff (right in 2017 in Berlin) was alerted to officer Mohammed Nadeem’s (left) heroics when Hardy’s Gate Bridge in Bury became the scene of a rescue
On Saturday the police were called to the River Irwell after a man fell into the river.
Officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and teams from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service attended the scene but on seeing the man in the water, PC Nadeem, who reportedly cannot swim, jumped 8ft into the river.
He was able to grab hold of the man and drag him to safety, where he was treated by paramedics before being taken to hospital to receive treatment, GMP said.
After the rescue, superintendent Rick Jackson, of GMP’s Bury Borough, said: ‘Without hesitation, PC Nadeem dived off an 8ft drop into freezing, deep and fast-moving water. The man is now safe and receiving the treatment he needs.
‘I’d like to commend PC Nadeem’s actions which were a prime example of why people join the force – to protect people and make sure they are away from harm.’
Hasselhoff’s publicist confirmed the actor will be the UK in mid-March, when he hopes he can personally praise the officer, before heading to Germany for a series of concert dates.
PC Nadeem jumped in to rescue the drowning man, grabbed hold and despite the plunging temperatures he dragged him to safety
The GMP trainee watched as specialist officers started negotiating with the man – but suddenly he fell into the freezing River Irwell, in Radcliffe, and it was caught on his bodycam
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service crew manager Ted Dorrington said: ‘The river was in flood so it was quite deep.
‘The issue that we had was that they were only 10 or 15 feet from a weir which recycles, having a tumble drier effect, so we were wary of that ‘It is a big hazard on a river, especially with it being in flood.’
The man and the brave officer, also aged in his 30s, were then handed over to paramedics who dried them off and took them hospital.
Mr Dorrington said: ‘The police officer was that cold that we had to take his clothing off and put a foil blanket on him.
‘He was shivering and dithering when we got him in to the ambulance.’