Though I do not agree in this case that the fireman deserves to be investigated into how he saved the woman - providing of course that all information has been revealed, I do suspect the Times a lot of the time... - the principle which is being exercised here is not necessarily a bad one.

I think that the principle of investigating how the police, doctors or fireman do their job and even save lives, especially in cases such as this is not a bad one. For instance I do not think that it would be particularily clever if every fireman jumped into save that woman if is was clear that the liklihood result was that they would all die. The only way to make situations safer for all is to investigate these instances. It may well have been easier to try and rescue the woman from ashore, for instance, or for the fireman to get back up, just because what he did worked, it does not mean that it will a) always work or b) be the best thing to do.

I guess I don't have the terrible aghast first thought all you other guys and gals seem to have when thinking of 'pen pushers with clipboards'. Normally, after all, they are only attempting to make things better and funnily enough they normally do.