TWO police officers have been praised after they saved the life of a woman who fell into a river.

PC Philip Sekowski and PC Tony Harrison stripped off to their boxer shorts and dived into the River Tees at Stockton after the woman fell 40ft into the water at midnight on Monday.

In pitch darkness and with only the help of a torch, they were able to find the woman, who was floating face down, and bring her back to shore.

Yesterday, the two Cleveland Police officers described the moment they received the emergency call, and said it was all in a day's work.

"When we got to the Riverside, we could see what looked like white clothing in the water," said PC Sekowski.

"Although it was pitch black, we stripped off to our boxer shorts and went in. It was freezing and we couldn't see anything."

He said they swam about 50 yards, guided by torchlight, and then other police officers on Victoria Bridge threw them a life ring.

They managed to get the woman's head through the ring and took her back to shore.

A number of officers performed emergency resuscitation the woman until paramedics arrived on the scene.

"I'm not a particularly brilliant swimmer, but you don't think of that and you don't think about your own safety," said PC Sekowski. "It's instinct that takes over."

The woman, believed to be in her 40s, was seen falling off Victoria Bridge by two passing police officers. They called for assistance and officers Sekowski and Harrison answered the call and made their way to Chandlers Wharf.

After the woman was pulled out of the water, she was taken to Stockton's University Hospital of North Tees, where her condition last night was described as not life-threatening.

However, a spokesman for Cleveland Police said all the officers involved had helped to save the woman's life, particularly those who leapt into the water.

Acting Inspecting John Coates said: "Both officers showed great courage with their actions, which undoubtedly saved this woman's life.

"They are a credit to the force."