DAVID Hasselhoff has praised a heroic police officer who jumped into a freezing river to save a man from drowning and said he would like to meet him.

PC Mohammed Nadeem jumped eight feet into the fast-moving River Irwell to pull the man from the water on Saturday.

The student officer has now been nicknamed 'The Hoff' by his colleagues and as been described as a 'prime example of people why people join the force'.

PC Nadeem's actions have gained international attention and Baywatch and Knight Rider star Hasselhoff has praised what he did.

He said: "The real heroes are the ones who act on instinct without hesitation, the ones who believe that we all can help each other.

“I want to meet the real heroes and say, ‘Good on you. Let me shake your hand’… ‘One man can make a difference’ is the theme of Knight Rider, this student police officer made the difference. So cool, so proud. Give it up for Mohammed, the new Hoff.”

He also took to social media to praise the officer.

In a post on Twitter, he said: "These are the real Heroes...Give it up for the new Hoff! Awesome DH."

PC Nadeem, aged 32, jumped into the river near Dumers Lane, Radcliffe at around 2pm on Saturday.

He had responded to a radio call after police were called to reports of concern for the welfare of a man near to Hardy's Gate Bridge.

Specialist officers attended and began negotiating with the man, but he fell into the water shortly after.

PC Nadeem managed to grab hold of the man and drag him to safety where he was treated by paramedics and taken to hospital.

As the father-to-be attempted to prevent the man from drowning, officers on the river bank threw a rescue line to get the two men out of the water.

PC Nadeem was taken to Fairfield General Hospital, where he was given treatment for hypothermia for around two hours.

Speaking after the rescue, he said: "I have attended serious incidents but never anything on this scale.

"I am very happy and proud to be a police officer and I am proud of what I have done, saving someone's life, it's a great feeling."

Bury Police Superintendent, Rick Jackson, personally commended PC Nadeem for his actions.

In 2015 Hasselhoff visited Bolton Market to meet staff at Freeze Factory to thank them for donating money to an army veteran's charity.