Police pair channel their superheroes while on patrol and get nominated for Pride of Australia medal

CONFRONTED by a man pinned under a car, with his face turning blue, two police officers knew they had to act fast.

PRIDE - two cops who saved the life of a man trapped under a car

CONFRONTED by a man pinned under a car, with his face turning blue, two police officers knew they had to act fast.

So they channelled their inner superheroes and lifted the BMW Superman-style, as the man gasped for breath like a fish out of water.

“He was gulping but no air was going in,’’ recalls Leading Constable Stephen Hillman, 46.

“The car was crushing his chest and his ears were turning blue, his neck was a horrible colour from a lack of oxygen.’’

Fortunately the squad mates arrived in the nick of time: the man soon started screaming, and they knew they had saved his life.

For the Highway Patrol officers who have seen too many fatals, it was a rare happy ending.

`”I’ve been in job 18 years, and we save lives by trying to reduce speed,’’ says Leading Senior-Constable Michael Ingram.

“I can honestly say, for the first time, we physically saved the life of someone who was dying in front of our eyes.’’

But their heroism came at a personal cost.

The impact of holding the car up for three minutes in December 2012 as they waited for further assistance resulted in long-term shoulder injuries.

The squad mates were forced to undergo surgery, spent months on light duties, and are still undergoing physiotherapy as they struggle with pain and simple movements.

Their heroism has earned them a Pride of Australia medal nomination.

If you know a local legend, nominate them now at heraldsun.com.au/prideofaustralia.