MOSCOW, January 27. /TASS/. A Moscow traffic policeman saved a female driver whose car plunged into the icy Moscow River following a road accident, the Interior Ministry’s spokeswoman told TASS on Friday.

"Captain Alexei Konyayev jumped into the ice cold water, broke the rear windshield of the sinking car with a piece of a block of ice and rescued the 34-year woman. His colleagues and eyewitnesses used a towing cable to help the policeman and the woman to get ashore," Irina Volk said.

The incident, where the female driver lost control and crashed through a road barrier, occurred in downtown Moscow on Thursday evening when temperatures in the city plunged to 10 degrees Celsius below zero.

The policeman and the rescued woman were taken to hospital, Volk said, adding that Konyayev will most likely receive a state award.

Police are also searching for an eyewitness who helped the traffic policeman save the woman. The man, whose name is Murat Shomakhov, was driving a car when the incident occurred, according to mass media reports.

A law enforcement source told TASS that the man rushed to the car together with the traffic policeman and took the woman to the quay.

"After being submerged in the icy waters, the traffic policeman was sent to hospital with hypothermia. The civilian rescuer refused to receive medical assistance and drove away," the source said. The police want to know about the man’s health and express gratitude for rescuing the woman and ask him about the details of the incident.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin thanked the traffic policeman for saving the woman, saying he was proud of his act and calling him "a man with a big heart.".

The policeman and the rescued woman were taken to hospital, Volk said, adding that Konyayev will most likely receive a state award.