A man has recounted the dramatic moment he rescued a driving instructor from a vehicle trapped in 4ft-deep water.
Film maker Jamie Price and his partner Danielle were out with a camera in their local area in Essex when they saw fire engines speeding towards the site of a ford that frequently floods.
The couple then drove to the ford – and were surprised to find firefighters “standing around” while the person remained trapped in the vehicle.
Mr Price told Sky News: “This particular crew were only trained to go waist high [in the water].”
Meanwhile, the man was “heavily under water” with the floods up to chest level, as he was sitting in the driver’s seat.
As the emergency crew waited for support from a specialist team, Jamie took matters into his own hands and rescued the man himself.
“We film this place a lot and I’ve pulled people out of there many times without the fire brigade being there and recovered their vehicle as well,” he said. “I did feel good about getting him out.
“He was definitely in a state of shock because when he was speaking and really wasn’t making any sense.
“In the video, he kind of doesn’t look with it and that is a medical thing.”
The man left the scene in an ambulance and had treatment afterwards, Mr Price said.
Mr Price said the crew not being trained to deal with the situation “didn’t make sense” – especially as the ford frequently floods, with crews sometimes being called out to the same place two or three times a day.
“It’s not uncommon to see two vehicles in there at the same time,” he added.
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Jamie Price speaking to Sky’s Sarah-Jane Mee on The UK Tonight Pic: Sky
In a statement, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service told Sky News: “Crews who arrived at the incident at Buttsbury Wash found a car stuck in over 1.2 metres of floodwater.
“Because of the depth, these crews requested additional support from our specialist water team while they remained at the scene to ensure the driver was safe. The driver got out of the car themselves.”
The service also reiterated that their advice to motorists is not to drive through floodwater.
“You don’t know how deep it could be, and you could put yourself and others at risk,” it said. “Always find an alternative route.”
Source Agencies
