ROCHDALE – An English Muslim police officer has risked his life by diving into a freezing river to save a man who had been struggling to stay afloat in Rochdale, UK.

“Somehow I managed to get to him and bring him to a place of safety. I wouldn’t say I’m a good swimmer, especially in deep flowing water,” PC Mohammed Nadeem told Ilmfeed on Tuesday.

Speaking to Manchester Evening News, he said: “I thought this person might not survive, so I jumped into the water to save him.”

“Saving him is the best feeling in the job. We are there to protect people, to save people,” the brave officer said.

The National Association of Muslim Police (NAMP) in the UK estimates that there are about 2,000 Muslim police officers throughout Britain.

According to the 2011 UK Census, Islam is the second largest religion in Britain with 2,786,635 Muslims who represent about 4.4% of the total UK population.

The vast majority of UK Muslims, estimated to be 2,660,116, live in England, forming 5.02% of the population.

They are followed by 76,737 Muslims living in Scotland (1.45%), 45,950 in Wales (1.50%), and 3,832 in Northern Ireland (0.21%).

On the city level, London has the greatest population of Muslims in the country.